Changing family – changing family policies

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a qualitative research pro ject which aimed to
map out the political evaluations and the social effects of the changing concept of
family and the changing forms of family life. By interviewing political and economic
decision-makers we intended to highlight the goals and the motives of the different
family policy approaches, the characteristic features of the family concepts reflected
by the policy-makers’ decisions, as well as the relationship between state family
policies and la bor market policies on the one hand, and equal treatment expectations
concerning both genders, on the other. On the basis of interviews conducted with
ordinary people we examined how much people’s lives are practically influenced by
the family policy measures introduced by the political and the economic decision
makers. According to our findings the two different categories of respondents saw
specific family policy issues in different ways – however, their interpretations of
family policy as a whole were rather convergent. The importance of providing equality
of opportunity for men and women, increasing the female employment rate,
acknowledging the plurality of family lifestyles, reconciling work and family life – be -
ing European expectations as well as conditions of a worthy life – seemed to be
overshadowed by the demographic issues of fertility and procreation.