Positive pathways for couples and families : meeting existing and emerging challenges of relationships

There is a growing need to develop an understanding of the positive pathways that strengthen the relationships of Australian couples and families. The couples and families in contemporary society are faced with many challenges and pressures that can mitigate against maintaining satisfying and enduring couple and family relationships. For example, increasing need for dual income families, longer working hours and demographic shifts that see older people living longer and children staying at home longer mean that couples are often required to provide familial care across two generations – frail ageing parents and children. These highlight just some of the pressures faced which can lead to couples not taking the time to cultivate their relationships. The aim of the workshop was to deal with many of these issues by linking research, policy and practice in ways that would help families meet such challenges. The two-day workshop, held 1-2 November 2008 in Melbourne, brought together leading and emerging Australian and international relationship researchers with practitioners, educators, policy makers and service-delivery organisations. Alongside the Academy, the event was sponsored by Deakin University, the University of Queensland, the Department of Families, Housing and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCHSIA), the Attorney General's Department (AG Department), the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) and Lifeworks. The workshop comprised seven sessions and two break-out discussions. A total of 28 participants attended the workshop. Of these participants, there were 19 speakers and 7 delegates from the various sponsor organisations that took part in group discussions.