Voices In The Family

March 2004 Voices In The Family shows

3/01/04
Including the Special Needs Child

Children with special needs and their families face many challenges. They have to arrange health care, education, transportation, and in-home services. But then there's a whole other dimension to this issue; acceptance at school and in the community. We'll hear excerpts from a recent panel discussion presented by WHYY's children's service as part of the "In the Spirit of Family" series. Our guests were Paul LeBuffe, Robert Naseef and Michele Staroba. LeBuffe is a psychologist and head of the institute for clinical training and research at the Devereux Foundation in PA. Michele Staroba is a teacher at Elkins Park School in Pennsylvania. Psychologist Robert Naseef has written Special Children, Challenged Parents. Listen »

3/08/04
Different Approaches to Parenting

What does it mean to be a good parent? Offering opportunities, guidance, and fostering talents? Being loving and caring? There are thousands of parenting books using different strategies, but on the next Voices in the Family, we'll take a look inside, and discuss the spiritual and philosophical dimensions of parenting. We'll hear about an existentialist approach, as well as a book that emphasizes mindfulness for parents. We'll hear from MJ Hannush, author of Becoming Good Parents: An Existential Journey and Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn, authors of Everyday Blessings; The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting. Listen »

3/15/04
Communities and Violence

A recent study of Philadelphia neighborhoods shows that living in nice areas that allow for close social bonds has a positive effect on mental and physical health. So if being in a good place promotes well-being, can the opposite be said of living in dangerous places? Dr. Dan Gottlieb and his guests will discuss how living with violence affects communities and people. His guests are Malik Aziz, Dr. Patrick Carr and Dr. James Comer. Aziz heads Philadelphia's Safe Schools / Safer Communities Program. Carr is the Director of the Institute for Violence Research and Prevention at St. Joseph's University. Comer is a Professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Listen »

3/22/04
Homeschooling

Over 1.5 million children in the United States are being homeschooled. Historically, parents chose to teach their children at home for religious reasons, but today, an increasing number of families homeschool because they are dissatisfied with public education. Dan Gottlieb and his guests will discuss education and homeschooling, and we'll hear from a family who is teaching four daughters at home. Our guests are: John Taylor Gatto, education reformist, author of "The Exhausted School: Bending the Bars of Traditional Education", Frank Farley, Temple professor of psychology and education, and Jim Hanak, CEO, Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS). Listen »

3/29/04
A Conversation with Lauren Slater

Many famous studies in the field of psychology are controversial today because of their dispassionate approach to the human psyche. Our guest is psychologist and author Lauren Slater. In her new book, "Opening Skinner's Box", she revisits ten audacious experiments that contributed greatly to our understanding of human behavior. Listen »