Interactions between family and public policy
The fifth in a series of six Cross-National Research Papers from the IPROSEC project summarises research into a wide variety of family-related issues throughout Europe. In total, eleven EU Member States were polled using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The work was also bolstered with data from the third wave of the European Values Study performed in 1999 and 2000. The results are presented in six separate documents. The concept of family has undergone dramatic changes over the past several decades. Its effects have been felt strongly and not all changes have been for the better. Of the children being born, a much higher percentage is born out of wedlock. Economic constraints are also forcing people to marry and raise children at a later age than in the past. The IPROSEC research uncovered several interesting results. For one, clear differences exist between Member States due to culture, history, religion and other factors. For instance, it is much more common, and socially acceptable, for Swedish couples to have children without being married. Furthermore, the rate at which a country responds to the modern pressures on the family varies considerably. Though comparatively progressive in other respects, Hungarians remain staunchly traditional in their views of the family. Yet perhaps of even greater importance is the understanding that state-implemented family policy strongly affects the way in which citizens make family-related decisions. Hence, policy can be an important influence in European demographics. The IPROSEC research helped identify possible pathways through which policy can positively affect change in the family, in particular dealing with the added pressure of women entering the workforce in increasing numbers. Other social and economic variables must also be optimised in tandem. The six documents are available from http://www.iprosec.org.uk/(opens in new window).