Article
Young people and their idea of the family in the 21st century
Sara Serrate, Agustín Huete, José Manuel Muñoz, Judith Martín, David Caballero and Jesús Ruedas, Universidad de Salamanca
Project selected in the Flash call on the social reality of young people
Our way of life is evolving to adapt to a society undergoing constant change, the result, among other aspects, of economic, labour, social, and technological advances. In relation to the general population, young people are the driving force behind this transformation and are the people who will articulate the different forms of coexistence and relationships within the family context. The study carried out, based on a survey of two thousand young people aged 16 to 32 years living in Spain, addresses their concerns, motivations, and references regarding the formation, or not, of a family unit. For this, different criteria that lead them to make certain decisions about their future are analysed, such as the weight of the home model in which they have grown up, their ideal family unit, or the type of housing to which they aspire. Likewise, other aspects are investigated such as personal, social, and work dependence or independence, lifestyle, and family values.
Key points
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1Nine out of ten young people consider that their family of origin is particularly important in their lives, and eight out of ten, that it has been or will be a reference when they come to form their own family.
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2Over half of young people would build a family based on marriage, with or without children. Among reasons for getting married is the desire to uphold the tradition, while those who state they do not want to marry do so either because they reject marriage, or because they feel comfortable with their current situation.
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3Only 16% of people surveyed have children. Six out of ten women have had to give up their training or professional advancement due to having children, compared to three out of ten men.
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4Young people would have children, or more children, if better work-life balance measures were guaranteed, teleworking became widespread, and they could access their own home.
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5Young people want to live in areas with basic services, in homes they own, and close to family or friends. They aspire to form families based on individual autonomy, but with shared responsibility for care. In this sense, almost half would take responsibility for the care of their parents if they became dependent, living with them.
