Family Transformations in the Post-Communist Countries: Attitudes Toward Changes

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the investigation of attitudes towards family changes in the DIALOG countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and of the impact of the ideational factors of the second demographic transition (individualism, secularism and female emancipation) on these attitudes. Family transformation is discussed in terms of de-institutionalisation of the family and changes in fertility patterns. The main focus is on differences in family transformation between the CEE countries and attitudes towards changes. The article is based on the PPAS data and on population statistics provided by the Council of Europe. The methods applied are descriptive statistics, factor and cluster analysis, and variance analysis. The research findings lead to the conclusion that demographic developments in the CEE countries are echoed in attitudes towards family changes: they are usually best accepted, and attitudes towards them are less negative, where they started earliest and are the most advanced, and vice versa. Nonetheless, this general interdependence is modified by the power of ideational factors of the SDT.