Family Structures and Family Forms

Existential Field 1: Family structures and family forms in the European Union

The report on Family Structures and Family Forms has been written by Loreen Beier, Dr. Dirk Hofäcker, Elisa Marchese, Dr. Marina Rupp, at the State Institute for Family Research, University of Bamberg in Germany. They would additionally like to extend their thanks to Ms Ursula Adam (Bamberg) and Ms Stefanie König (Munich) for helpful contributions to this report.

Keywords: family structure and types, fertility and demographic developments, rare family forms, European comparison, marriage and divorce, nuclear family model.

Abstract: In the recent past, public debates about the role of the family in modern societies have loomed large within the countries of the European Union. Indeed, family structures and family forms have changed considerably throughout Europe since the 1960s and 1970s. Most prominently, the overall size of families has declined, following a general decrease in total fertility levels across virtually every European nation. Partly connected to this trend, the structure of families in Europe has changed. Recent studies point to the fact that the idea of one standard “nuclear family model” is increasingly being replaced by a variety of different alternative family forms and lifestyles.

Despite the existence of a number of unique trends across Europe, however, changes in family structures and family forms have taken place at very different magnitudes and with notable cross-national variation in “outcomes”. It thus may still be an over simplification to speak about the European family per se. Instead, research appears to indicate that we are still observing a large variety of different, nationally or regionally specific patterns, often strongly connected to different cultural backgrounds or family policy models.

Against this background, our existential field intends to conduct a thorough synthesis of major developments in family forms and structures throughout recent decades for the current 27 countries of the European Union. In doing so, the existential field considers three different topical areas:

1. to review the development in fertility and related demographic processes;
2. provide an overview of major changes in the structure of European families by considering the major changes in family types that have occurred throughout recent decades, specifically in the development of institutionalised family relationships, i.e. union formation and dissolution.
3. up till quite recently, family research initially largely has concentrated on the afore mentioned processes - but more recently attention has shifted towards newly emerging family forms, such as foster and adoptive families, multi-generational households, families without common households, patchwork families and so called rainbow families. 

The initial results of existential field I (as per April 2010) highlight that taken together, there is a comparatively high dynamic of family forms within European countries throughout the last decades However, especially for the supposedly most dynamic emerging family forms, European comparative evidence is either scarce or virtually non-existent. Especially the latter make up a major area where future research should concentrate on, not least as they are the most dynamic field of family development in contemporary Europe.

Download and Comment

Please find available to download the summary and the full working reports (to the left of this text). The Summary highlights key points and findings of the work, whilst the Full Report should be read by those wanting a more in-depth knowledge of the subject area.

Stakeholders are invited to comment on the report, making reference to their own findings and policies as appropriate; these critical comments will be analysed and processed as part of the Critical Review of the Existing Research on Families. Please note that only registered stakeholders are able to comment and download the full reports. To register, click here.