Adapting through learning: Family Studies as a strategic choice for the future

This paper explores the way in which formal education can contribute to capacity building in the family services sector. The concerns and issues for families now and into the future are conceptualised as ill-structured problems that require an adaptive capacity by all stakeholders in the sector and beyond. The paper gives insights into how an adaptive capacity can be facilitated through formal postgraduate education, and makes the case that being immersed in the discipline of Family Studies generates deep learning that can be applied at many levels of professionals’ work with families. Three core concepts of reflection, knowledge construction and productivity are linked to future expected and unforeseen demands on family professionals, particularly the increasing demand for choosing, implementing, adapting and evaluating evidence-based programmes and evidence-informed practices, as well as measuring the collective impact of activities that support the well-being of families