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Despite an attempt to renegotiate the division of labour in the home over the past twenty years, family responsibilities still fall disproportionately on women. This paper illustrates the flow of social exchanges between the family and the market and the family and the state, particularly in relation to some aspects of domestic labour. The author examines how family responsibilities affect the life changes of men and women and determines that family responsibilities do not harm the careers of men but have a negative impact on those of women. He questions how to best bring about a change in this situation and discusses the following means of altering the undesirable effects of family responsibilities: renegotiating responsibilities within households leading to a more equitable division of labour between men and women; outsourcing some of the domestic labour to the marketplace, thereby reducing the burden of unpaid work faced by women; and the state absorbing some of the responsibilities formerly performed by households, such as government sponsored child care centres.
Burbidge, A. Changing patterns of social
exchanges: issues in the literature.
In order to explore some of the major recent changes affecting family responsibilities, this paper provides an overview of key areas of literature on social exchanges between families and the state. The paper identifies four broad issues of importance to these social exchanges and provides an introduction to the debates in the literature on these themes. The first section focuses on the role of the state in its social exchanges with families. The second section examines the major areas where changes are taking place in the boundaries between families and the state. Section three discusses the impact on families and particular sub groups in society of these perceived trends in social exchange. In the final section, social capital is assessed as a means of increasing social exchanges.
Burbidge, A. Social capital and the need
for devolution.
The concept of social capital arises from the way in which social relationships generate trust and cooperation for gains enjoyed in common. This article focuses on the role that government has to play in creating an environment within which its citizens are able to foster mutuality, leading to trust and cooperation. A key feature of this strategy is that the state plays a supportive rather than a directive role in encouraging people to establish common goals and generate trust. The article was compiled from works by Mark Latham, the Shadow Minister for Education and Youth Affairs and a contributor to the debate on social capital.
De Vaus, D; Qu, L. Intergenerational
family
transfers: dimensions of inequality.
The role of the state in supporting the well being of citizens is being redefined throughout western society. There is an apparent consensus among governments that the responsibility for the provision of services and support should shift from government to the market, the community and the family. This article focuses on some of the implications of expecting families to make up for what the state will no longer provide, and considers whether such changes are likely to affect generational, gender, socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities.
Eckersley, R. Rising psychosocial problems
among young people: historical myth or contemporary
reality?
Concerns for young people in today's world are well based. If their social and emotional well being are to be improved, then it is necessary to face up to the problem, and not deny that it exists. The author refers to an article by Judith Bessant and Rob Watts, 'History, Myth Making and Young People in a Time of Change' in the previous issue of Family Matters (no.40, Autumn 1998: 5-10). The author criticises their stand that viewing young people as 'victims of change' or 'sources of misrule' is a recurring historical myth unsupported by empirical evidence. Further he disputes their inference that there is no problem, or if there is a problem, it resides within the individual, and social, economic and cultural circumstances play little if any part.
Garbarino, J. Raising children in a
socially toxic environment.
It is becoming more difficult for children to grow up these days. As greater numbers of children display signs of experiencing problems, it is important to ask, 'Why?'. The author's response is that children are vulnerable to the negative influence of an increasingly socially toxic environment, and unless something is done about it, the situation for children will only continue to deteriorate. By socially toxic environment, the author means that the social world of children, the social context in which they grow up, has become poisonous to their development. This paper is adapted by the author from his book, Raising Children in a Socially Toxic Environment. It provides a perspective on social exchanges and institutional reshaping by calling for governments to take a stronger role in the 'detoxifying' of the social environment, which the author states is currently 'polluting' children.
Kolar, V; McGurk, H. Parental sources of
support: Anglo-Australian and Vietnamese-Australian
families.
Social support networks comprise both formal and informal sources. Formal support refers to professional support, which can be either public or privately provided, while informal support refers to community support groups, work colleagues, neighbours, friends and family. This article examines the networks of formal and informal support that some Australian parents use to assist them in their parenting roles. The authors draw on findings from the Institute's Parenting-21 Study to illustrate the similarities and differences in the networks of family, friends and services to which Anglo Australian and Vietnamese Australian parents have access, and on which they draw support in their parenting roles. Also examined are the issues that motivate parents in their choice of formal or informal support. Discussion focuses on the significance of the contribution made by social networks to easing the tasks of parenting.
Millward, C. Family support and
exchange.
As western societies restructure their social support policies, economic considerations are now typically playing a dominant role that is impacting on the flow of social exchanges. In this context, what is the role of the family as a source of social support? Is there enough mutual interest and sense of obligation within families to ensure ongoing intergenerational family support and exchange? This article examines the role of the family as one of the key institutions of support and exchange within a changing social environment. It asks what the family does, what its members expect, and to what extent it is comparable with other informal or formal institutions in society.
Millward, C. Later life parents helping
adult children.
The relationship between older parents and their adult children can be set in the broader context of the family as a support resource. Various types of support are provided to adult children by parents who are in their fifties and sixties. In this article the author draws on findings from the Later Life Families Study of the Australian Institute of Family Studies in order to examine reasons for the prolonged dependency of some adult children on their parents. She discusses parents' involvement with adult children, adult children's living arrangements, and the personal characteristics of parents and children, including their age, occupation, gender, marital status and parental status. The author concludes that while there is a common perception of adult children being supports for their ageing parents, many of the older parents interviewed for this study, while not elderly, were an important support for their adult children.
Social capital is the mutual sense of reciprocity and trust which enables groups of people to live and work together successfully. In this article the Minister for Family Services discusses the concept of social capital and its implications for social policy. He outlines the importance of effectively functioning communities, their relationship to the overall well being and prosperity of society at large, and in particular the value and role of the family at the centre of policy framework.
Weston, R. Quality of school life in
government, Catholic and other private secondary schools: views of
students and their parents.
Australian has had a dual educational system of private and public schools for over one hundred years. This article examines whether parents who send their adolescent children to government, Catholic or other private school hold different educational priorities. It also examines the extent to which they and their children are satisfied with the schools attended. The author looks at the priorities of parents, and the evaluation of schools both in terms of the parents' views and the students' views. The author states that the relatively low satisfaction both parents and students have with government schools may partly explain the changing enrolments in these schools, with the greatest growth occurring in private schools other than Catholic and Anglican schools.
Winter, I. Social exchanges: families,
communities, states and markets.
Economic, political and cultural changes are leading to a re shaping
of the institutional supports for families. The flow of social exchanges
between families, communities, states and markets is being restructured
towards families becoming more self reliant and being able to self
provide by drawing upon a civic life reinvigorated with social capital.
In response to the emergence of a new socio institutional ensemble of
support for families, the Australian Institute of Family Studies has
designed a research program that aims to examine the attitudes and
behaviours associated with the various patterns of social exchanges
engaged in by families, and the implications of these for individual and
family well being. The research is concerned with the role of the family
as a social institution in the 21st century and the socio institutional
arrangements that will support the best outcomes for families. This
article focuses on the theme of social exchanges and social capital,
situates the key research questions within the broad historical context
of changes to family life and outlines the main aims of the program.
Through its research in this area, the Institute aims to make sense of
the past and present in order to provide greater certainty about factors
affecting family stability and well being in the new
millennium.
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