Wayne State University’s Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society (FOCIS) will feature political scientist, author and educator Robert D. Putnam on Monday, March 28, in its Spring 2016 program titled “Urban Families: The American Dream in Crisis.”

Putnam will examine why fewer American families from all backgrounds now have the opportunity for upward mobility — a topic explored in his most recent book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis.

In his book, he points out that in recent years there has been much discussion about America’s income inequality, but he warns that we should brace ourselves for growing inequality of opportunity in the coming decades. Today’s measures of economic mobility, according to Putnam, refer to a generation born 30-40 years ago, and in that sense society is viewed through a “rear-view mirror.”

Another finding in Putnam’s research reveals the staggering cost to society as the opportunity gap widens. In terms of crime and law enforcement, public health and lower labor productivity, estimates of the aggregate economic costs are $500 billion per year, or roughly $6 trillion in present value over the lifetimes of the current cohort of disadvantaged kids.

The Malkin Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Putnam has had a distinguished career as a scholar, social scientist and author. He has been consulted by Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, as well as leaders from around the world.

According to the New York Times, “Robert D. Putnam is technically a Harvard social scientist, but a better description might be poet laureate of civil society.”

The Sunday Times of London called him "the most influential academic in the world." President Obama awarded Putnam the 2012 National Humanities Medal for “deepening our understanding of community in America.”

“We are delighted to have Professor Putnam as our keynote speaker for this spring’s FOCIS event,” said Irvin D. Reid, director of FOCIS and Wayne State’s Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement. “He understands the challenges that families are facing in urban areas like Detroit, and offers solutions that may lead to a healthier and more economically stable future for our families and children.”

Before deciding on this spring’s community topic, Reid consulted a team of Wayne State University college and institute administrators asking them to help FOCIS develop a program that targeted critical challenges facing cities and society. “We all agreed that one of the most urgent topics is the American family,” Reid said. “Our children are this city’s most precious asset. Their future and success are hanging in the balance, dependent on healthy communities. We were all in agreement that this FOCIS event must address families and children.”

“Urban Families: The American Dream in Crisis” runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Wayne State University’s Community Arts Auditorium, 450 Reuther Mall in Detroit. All events are free and open to the public, but preregistration is required. For further information, and to RSVP, visit http://focis.wayne.edu/, or call 313-577-5550.

“Urban Families: The American Dream in Crisis”

Agenda

• 10 a.m. - Doors open
• 10:30 a.m. - Welcome, opening remarks, and introductions

Irvin D. Reid, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor; Director, FOCIS; Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement

           Margaret E. Winters, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Keynote address and audience Q&A

Robert D. Putnam, Ph.D.

• 11:45 a.m. – Lunch break
• 12:30 p.m. – Panel discussion and wrapup

Moderators: Jerry Herron, Ph.D., Professor and Dean, Irvin D. Reid Honors College and Cheryl Waites, Ed.D., Professor and Dean, School of Social Work

Panel topics and panelists include:

“Family and Schooling”

• Alice Thompson, CEO, Black Family Development
• David Hecker, Ph.D., President, American Federation of Teachers, Michigan

                                   “Primary Care and Health”

• Suzanne Feetham, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Nursing Research Consultant, Children’s National Health System; Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Herbert C. Smitherman, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Dean, Community and Urban Health; Interim Vice Dean, Diversity and Inclusion, Wayne State University School of Medicine

                        “Government and Community Relations”

• Sheila Cockrel, founder and CEO, Crossroads Consulting Group; former City of Detroit Council member
• John Gallagher, Staff Writer, Detroit Free Press

• 2:30 p.m. – Reception and book signing
• 4 p.m. – Event concludes

As with previous FOCIS programs, there is no charge to attend the event activities. This is possible only because of the generosity of the principal sponsors. In addition to long-term support from the Applebaum Family Foundation, first-time support is provided by The Kresge and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundations.

Event Partners

Irvin D. Reid Honors College

College of Education

College of Nursing

Institute of Gerontology

School of Social Work

Event Director

Irvin D. Reid, Ph.D.
Director, Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society
Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement

Planning Committee

Jerry Herron, Ph.D.
Dean, Irvin D. Reid Honors College

Laurie Lauzon Clabo, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Nursing

Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D.
Director, Institute of Gerontology

Cheryl Waites, Ed.D.
Dean, School of Social Work

R. Douglas Whitman, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Education

Pamela William
Associate Director, FOCIS and
Coordinator of Community Engagement, Eugene Applebaum Chair

About FOCIS

Established in 2007, FOCIS is a special initiative that focuses Wayne State University's problem-solving resources on an eclectic range of topics important to the campus community and beyond. FOCIS lectures and related events bring together the institution's teaching, research and service missions to advance the frontiers of knowledge, promote informed debate and encourage responsible citizenship in an increasingly fast-paced, interconnected and complex global society. FOCIS presents coordinated public programs, foreign-study projects, research opportunities and ongoing community dialogues addressing specific issues that confront the citizens of Detroit, the United States and the world.

About the Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement

The Eugene Applebaum Chair in Community Engagement was created through the generosity of alumnus Eugene Applebaum, founding chair of the Wayne State University Foundation. The Applebaum Chair is a catalyst for cooperation between the university and community organizations on issues in business and economic development, education, health, international outreach, politics and other areas. FOCIS is the Applebaum Chair's primary public platform.