The family as a basic social unit has undergone
profound change, but with no uniform pattern. From an economic
perspective, the most important changes are those related to family
formation and fertility, the family as a system of support, and the
supporting services that families increasingly need in order to
function effectively in a changing environment. In developing
countries, the role of the family as a production unit and source
of employment continues to be of major, though diminishing,
importance.
The extent to which the family, nuclear or
extended, has been eroded as an effective social support system is
the subject of considerable debate. Lack of precise information on
the actual support rendered for family members to each other tends
to make the discussion conjectural. It is probably safe to say
that, in the developed countries, the family as a support
institution has not been eroded as much as is commonly supposed,
whereas in developing countries, the stereotype of the
self-sufficient family is no longer an entirely accurate reflection
of reality. In the areas of education and health, families are
probably making a greater contribution than at any previous time,
although family members receive a greater proportion of their total
education and health services outside the family.
Recent trends suggest that pressure will continue
for families to rely more on external support, much of it provided
by public authorities in the form of specialized services and care,
in particular in developed countries. In developing countries, too,
where parents are less able to prepare their children for a world
outside their realm of experience, families may need outside
support, especially in finding suitable employment for the next
generation. In many countries, demands are growing for additional
services and support that would better enable parents, especially
mothers, to reconcile parental, household, and work
responsibilities. These demands will be a major issue in developed
countries and will become increasingly relevant in developing
countries as fewer women will earn a living from home-based
employment. At the same time, however, restraints on the financial
and administrative resources of Governments, and on the
availability of adequately trained child- care workers, will limit
the ability of Governments to provide adequate child-care for all
young children. New arrangements, including
participation by employers,
primary schools, and other existing institutions, will be needed.
In some cases, it may be more efficient and socially beneficial for
Governments to provide direct income supplements to enable parents
to spend more time caring for their children in their own homes
or in various co-operative
arrangements with neighbours or relatives.
In both developed and developing countries, in a
period of budgetary constraints, Governments have looked with
renewed interest at the family as a system of support that could
bear a larger share of the burden of looking after the sick, the
disabled, and the aged. The professional view supports such
arrangements as being in many cases preferable to
institutionalization and recommends public support and assistance
to encourage families to provide more such support. However, the
burden of care now tends to fall disproportionately on women. There
is thus a potential conflict between this trend and the goal of
widening opportunities for women, especially in education and
employment.