Spotlights on Contemporary Family Life
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Date
2011-04
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Abstract
Spotlights on Contemporary Family Life covers four issues of
cross-cutting importance to families
Structures and forms of families: issues relating to a diversification of families
away from the ‘traditional nuclear family form’ are relatively uncontroversial
from an academic perspective, but much more so for policy makers and family
associations. Chapter 1 provides a thorough overview of the state of contemporary
European families.
Solidarities in families: too often the issue of an ‘ageing society’ is simply
reduced to the problem of over-burdening social care systems, but longevity
also represents opportunities for new kinds of solidarities inside families and
family networks, and new relations between family members – not to mention
the satisfaction felt by people who can continue to live fulfilling and rewarding
lives long after they’re considered ‘elderly’. Chapter 2 gives voice to authors who
identify these new opportunities and challenges.
Demographic change: women are having fewer children and having them
later in life. Having children is now a conscious decision and fertility rates have
declined below the level required to sustain our current populations. At the
same time we witness the ‘greying’ of Europe, which brings with it a whole host
of opportunities and challenges. Chapter 3 raises important issues for policy
makers today.
Volunteering: inspired by family associations who could not survive without
the support of volunteers, this chapter gives an overview of what’s known -
and what isn’t - about volunteering. Coinciding with the European Year of
Volunteering 2011, this chapter takes a timely look at the efforts that families
put into volunteering across Europe and the important benefits that Europe gains
from all of this combined voluntary effort.
Linden Farrer and William Lay work for the Confederation of Family Organisations
in the European Union (COFACE). This publication was produced by FAMILYPLATFORM,
a project funded by the European Commission.
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Keywords
ageing, demographic change, diversification, European year of volunteering, family, family forms, family policy, family research, family solidarity, family structure, policy, social care, volunteering, volunteers