Research Agenda on Families and Family Wellbeing for Europe

Abstract

This report is the final outcome of FAMILYPLATFORM and the result of the encounter between more than 170 experts and stakeholders from all over Europe and beyond, creating a lively think tank on family issues. It summarises important policy questions, research gaps and research issues that were highlighted during the 18 months of working together closely within FAMILYPLATFORM. A series of societal challenges for families, family‐related policy and research have been identified through the work of FAMILYPLATFORM. Based on these crucial societal challenges, seven important research areas are outlined in this report: 1. Family Policy, 2. Care, 3. Life Course and Transitions, 4. Doing Family, 5. Migration and Mobility, 6. Inequalities and Insecurities, 7. Media and New Information Technologies. In each research area vital research questions are identified, combined with general remarks on methodological issues and approaches. Altogether, these challenges, research areas and methodological issues are building a research roadmap for the European Union for the years ahead. The realisation of this research roadmap could help policy makers to meet future societal challenges and to improve the wellbeing of families.