Hospitality: transformative service to children, families, and communities

Hospitality is an ancient moral practice that was deeply embedded in early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Hospitality requires acceptance of, service to, and respect for people who lack a place in the community. The contemporary importance of this practice reflects the social disconnection and ec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American psychologist Vol. 69; no. 8; p. 761
Main Author Melton, Gary B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.11.2014
Subjects
Child
Child Abuse
Child Welfare
Humans
Residence Characteristics
Social Support
United States
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Summary:Hospitality is an ancient moral practice that was deeply embedded in early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Hospitality requires acceptance of, service to, and respect for people who lack a place in the community. The contemporary importance of this practice reflects the social disconnection and economic disadvantage of many young parents and the high frequency of separation of young people, including many young parents, from their communities. Such social deterioration substantially increases the risk of child maltreatment. Building on the proposals of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, Strong Communities for Children demonstrated the effectiveness of community building in reducing such risk. It further suggested the importance of both relying on and learning from hospitable people in strengthening support for children and their parents.
ISSN:1935-990X
DOI:10.1037/a0037567