Presidential Address: Parenting in Context, A Journey in Interdisciplinary and Multisector Research

Abstract

Increasing global diversity of children and families calls for developmental sciences to incorporate the dynamic interactions of race, ethnicity, culture, and other contextual experiences. However, navigating ecological and cultural theories defies our disciplinary‐based training. Promoting interdisciplinary multisector research is necessary. With parenting as a lens, I described my journey toward increasingly interdisciplinary and multisector research. Interactions among ethnicity, community, and socioeconomic status varied by developmental stage and context, resulting in revisiting conceptualizations of parenting. Further, through research‐practice partnerships, cultivating a sense of purpose, apart from educational and career goals, emerged as significant for maintaining academic engagement and navigating an unstable and insecure job market. As president of SRCD (2021–2023), I emphasized and catalyzed transdisciplinary, multisector research to support children and families.