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Philosopher Henry David Thoreau once noted, "It takes two to speak the truth: one to speak and another to hear." This adage about the power of listening aptly describes the research of three Ryerson professors. 

Mehrunnisa Ali, Pat Corson and Elaine Frankel are faculty members in the School of Early Childhood Education. Over a three-year period, the researchers collaborated on a nation-wide initiative aimed at improving the way service providers respond to families. In particular, the project focused on families that were new to Canada, were living in poverty or had a child with a developmental disability - the research interests of Ali, Corson and Frankel, respectively.

In many cases, the families had overlapping concerns. But instead of seeing children, their families and their issues as separate entities, the Listening to Families project promoted the idea among service providers that families must be viewed holistically. To do this, staff members in child-care centres, schools, public health settings, family support programs and social welfare agencies were encouraged to develop "family narratives" – detailed accounts of a family's history, challenges, priorities, coping strategies and strengths. This stands in contrast to the brief intake forms that service agencies typically use to gather information about the families they serve.

The project's big-picture focus and emphasis on the positive were intentional, says Ali. "Marginalized families are often seen as having a deficit," she explains. "But by really listening to families, we rethink how we consider them, and gain a deeper and more holistic view of them as units." Ali hopes this new stance will lead to the development of inclusive and appropriate services for families on the margins.

To find the 30 families that were interviewed for the study, the researchers partnered with the Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs and the Family Supports Institute Ontario. Narratives of these families are now included in the book Listening to Families: Reframing Services, which Ali, Corson and Frankel developed to teach service providers how to create family narratives. The book is available in both English and French. In addition, an English-language DVD features testimonials from service providers who have successfully put family narratives into practice. 

The ultimate goal of the research, says Frankel, is to respect the rights of all families to receive appropriate public services. "We need to help families feel included, and social inclusion requires listening and responding with new services and programs."

Corson echoes that sentiment. "One woman who was interviewed made it clear that her family members weren't defined by poverty; they were much more than that. So we need to create initiatives that reflect her viewpoint."

Today, the researchers are disseminating the results through their teaching as well as speaking engagements and conference presentations. And while it's important to communicate their findings, Ali, Corson and Frankel also acknowledge the importance of the project to the families who were interviewed.

"They were grateful to have someone really listen to them," says Ali. "The families' enthusiastic response surprised us, and indicates the power of the work."

The Listening to Families project was supported by $287,000 in funding from the Social Development Partnerships Program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Read more research news at:
www.ryerson.ca/research

If you are a faculty member and would like to submit your current research as a story idea, please email a brief summary to stoye@ryerson.ca