Family life in Bavaria is complex and diverse. In order to effectively engage with families, professional practice must adapt to families’ heterogeneity.
The term “family concepts and models” is defined here as communicative, collectively negotiated normative guiding principles that are widely accepted in society and are decisive for orientation and action. These principles are both explicit and implicit and evaluate family, family constellations, and, in particular, their behavior either negatively or positively.
The project is focuses on services characterized by voluntary participation of the parents. These services encompass family education, family centers, parenting and family counseling, and early childhood intervention.
The professionals who offer the services are examined to determine which ideas of existing and missing resources, of “normal and problem families”, of “successful or deficient parenting”are prevalent. Do these align with the family concepts and models of the parents who use these services and with their resources? What do these ideas mean for addressing and reaching families? Which families are addressed, and might struggle to be reached by these services?
In order to improve the services’ accessibility, the project aims to investigate not only the perspectives of the professionals on family concepts and models, but also those of the parents and their influence on service utilization. The experiences and views of both groups will be collected through group discussions, standardized surveys and qualitative interviews.
Through collaboration with social work professionals, the objective of the project is to ascertain how the study might inform strategies for engaging more effectively with groups or individuals who are considered hard to reach. Potential avenues for exploration include the use of digital media, specific locations, or alternative formats.
