Global changes in marriage, parenting and family life : an overview

Abstract

We live in a time of unprecedented diversity in household living arrangements, and of extensive social, cultural and economic change, both of which have far-reaching implications for marriage, parenting and family life in the twenty-first century. While families across the globe have always taken a variety of forms, certain functions, such as the nurture of children and care of family members, are universal. The concept of family denotes stability, and most societies have placed a high value on the institution of marriage as providing the best environment in which to bring up children. Contemporary global variations in partnership formation and decreasing marriage rates have generated concerns that family stability is under threat and family values are in decline. Expressions of a looming crisis in family relationships, however, can be traced through hundreds of years of social history. Such concerns primarily revolve around the weakening of the nuclear family, comprising a married couple and their children, widely regarded as the traditional family structure in Western societies. But this kind of family is by no means a universal phenomenon, nor is it essential for carrying out family functions. As diversity increases, it is vitally important to examine the nature and extent of the changes in marriage, parenting practices and family life taking place across the globe; to understand the impacts of these changes on adults’ and children’s wellbeing, on communities, and on societies as a whole; and to assess the steps that might need to be taken by governments and others to develop family friendly policies and support services that can enable families to foster strong, stable, loving environments in which family members can flourish and reach their potential in the modern world.