Social Inequality and Diversity of Families Working Report (April 2010)

In this state‐of‐art report we focus on some of the more relevant issues from the perspective of social inequality and families within and across European societies. We begin by addressing the three main topics included in this existential field by the Family Platform Project: migration, poverty, family violence. Additionally, we will look at two key issues which are important in contextualizing and discussing the above‐mentioned topics. First, we will summarize recent trends in social inequality in European societies. Secondly, we will review some of existing research on the relationship between social inequalities and families, by examining the impact of social inequality on family forms and dynamics as well as the transmission and reproduction of inequalities within families. Social inequality shapes family life, but families and their members must also be seen as actors in the system of inequality (transmitting inequalities to subsequent generations, reproducing them within the home and through their networks, and resisting the effects of inequality). Research review in this existential field was carried out separately on each of the abovementioned topics. Migration, poverty and family violence are large and autonomous fields of research which do not have common theoretical and methodological underpinnings or empirical data sets. For this report it was therefore important to grasp the major trends and findings within each research topic before moving on to broader conclusions on research into social inequalities and diversity of families in Europe.FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH‐2009‐3.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family policies): funded by the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme for 18 months (October 2009 – March 2011)

Critical Review of Research on Families and Family Policies in Europe Conference Report

This report was produced by FAMILYPLATFORM. FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH-2009-3.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family policies) is funded by the EU’s 7th Framework Programme (€1,400,000) and has a duration of 18 months (October 2009 – March 2011). The consortium consists of the following 12 organisations: 1) Technical University Dortmund (Coordinators); 2) State Institute for Family Research, University of Bamberg; 3) Family Research Centre, University of Jyväskylä; 4) Austrian Institute for Family Studies, University of Vienna; 5) Demographic Research Institute, Budapest; 6) Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon; 7) Department of Sociology and Social research, University of Milan-Bicocca; 8) Institute of International and Social Studies, Tallinn University; 9) London School of Economics; 10) Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE), Brussels; 11) Forum delle Associazioni Familiari, Italy; 12) Mouvement Mondial des Mères, Brussels; Contact [email protected] or visit http://www.familyplatform.eu for more information.The aim of this Critical Review Report is to describe and report on the international conference "Families and Family Policies in Europe - A Critical Review", wich took place in Lisbon, at the Institute for Social Sciences (University of Lisbon), in May 2010. Organized by FAMILYPLATFORM consortium, the main objective of this 3 day conference was to carry out a critical review of existing research on families and family policies in Europe. Drawing on expert reviews of the state of the art, critical statements by stakeholders and policy makers, and debate on the major challenges for research and policies, the conference was organized with a view to providing a major forum for discussing and identifying the design of future family policies and research.FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH 2009.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family  policies):  funded  by  the  European  Unions 7th Framework Programme for 18 months (October 2009 – March 2011)

The de-standardisation of the life course in Portugal. A cross-cohort analysis using entropy analysis

This article addresses the question of life course de-standardisation in Portugal, drawing on a trajectory-based holistic approach. The de-standardisation hypothesis presupposes that, over recent decades, occupational and family trajectories became gradually more variable. Our methodological strategy to test these hypotheses uses entropy measures and assesses how cohort and gender influence standardisation. We used these measures to determine the heterogeneity in co-residence and occupational trajectories between the ages of 7 and 35. In a second stage, we used regression models to estimate if cohort, gender, education and socio-economic class associate with co-residence and occupational entropy. The paper draws on data from the ‘Family Trajectories and Social Networks: The life course in an intergenerational perspective’ research project (n = 1500), which included questions on co-residence and work employment history of Portuguese individuals born in three different cohorts (1935-40; 1950-55; 1970-75). Findings show that standardisation and de-standardisation dynamics coexist, operating differently depending on the life domain and the stage of life. While early family trajectories are more standardised in younger cohorts, later stages are slightly more diverse, particularly among women. As far as occupational trajectories are concerned, formative years are much more standardised in the younger cohort, while adulthood is de-standardised in all cohorts. We discuss results in light of the life course regime and gendering hypotheses.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A comparison of two methods for the definition of Regional Metropolitan Areas through an application in the North of Portugal

The objective of this paper is to present a comparison of two methods for the definition of regional metropolitan areas, in a perspective of identification of urban territories with similar characteristics. In this study it is assumed that population density is, in the absence of another measure that describe daily or weekly individual movements, a variable that can be used to evaluate, although indirectly, the activity level and dynamics of the territory. The first method explored here uses ESDA (Exploratory Spatial Data Analyses) techniques for the definition of regional metropolitan areas. The second method is based on an index value that results from a rank of the variable under analysis in a spatial context, both at the local and national (or regional) levels. The methods are implemented in a case study in the north of Portugal, where this is a very opportune issue.

Food poverty and informal network support in a changing Portuguese rural area

This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Different representations of the ‘countryside’ coexist in contemporary Portugal, from idyllic depictions to portrayals of emptiness and loneliness. Rural contexts close to urban areas are assumed to have informal support networks that can alleviate poverty and exclusion when institutional support fails. The incidence and intensity of food poverty are presumed to be lessened by proximity to food production sites and land ownership. In this article, we aim to analyse how living in an intermediate area shapes the experience of food poverty. We draw on qualitative case studies of low-income families living in between a predominantly rural and a predominantly urban territory in Portugal, which has been through a process of restructuring of its rural territory since the second half of the 20th century. Paying attention to the specificities of this intermediate context, including the availability of formal support, we will investigate to what extent informal support networks alleviate food poverty for these families. Our discussion adds to the scientific debate on food poverty and its links to social networks in intermediate areas previously embedded in predominantly rural territories. We also discuss the highly gendered nature of informal support and its significance for women enduring food poverty.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Critical Review of Research on Families and Family Policies in Europe

FAMILYPLATFORM’s aim was to develop and publish a European Research Agenda for Research on Families and Family Policy, in order to enable policy makers and others to respond to current and future challenges facing families. Four concrete steps were taken towards elaborating the Research Agenda: 1. Charting the contemporary field of research on families and family policy in the EU. 2. Critically reviewing existing research involving a wide range of stakeholders. 3. An innovative exercise to identify future challenges facing families, so as to highlight future policy issues and develop questions for future research. 4. Bringing together all of the work into a Research Agenda on Families and Family Wellbeing for Europe. Each of these areas has a dedicated chapter in this book, presenting the main results and findings of this work. More than 120 civil society representatives, policy makers, and scientific experts were involved in the work of FAMILYPLATFORM. The sharing and negotiating of sometimes contradictory perspectives and thoughts was an exciting challenge for everyone involved, resulting in a great deal of shared learning. We hope that this book passes on some of these rich experiences, thereby improving the wellbeing of families in Europe through research and policy.FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH-2009-3.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family policies) is funded by the EU’s 7th Framework Programme (€1,400,000) for 18 months (October 2009-March 2011)

Changes to children s forms of living in contemporary Portugal

Following Qvortrup’s theoretical proposal of considering children as a generation in a binary ‘generational order’ (1994, 2010), this chapter presents and discusses national data depicting children’s forms of living in contemporary Portugal. First, using socio-demographic indicators from different sources, a portrait of children as a specific age group (0–14 years old) in the general population will be elaborated, followed by a look at the families they live with and the values parents convey to them. In the second section, we will focus on two case studies, drawing on recent or ongoing research. The first case study highlights pieces of research that tried to capture children’s voices during the recent economic crisis. The second focuses on the structural conditions that frame care work and schooling, including the parental/gender division of labour. It will also address the growing role of digital information and communication technologies (ICTs). Classical variables such as age, sex, region of residence and level of schooling are collected, treated and interpreted, as well as others relating to childhood conditions that highlight its sharp diversity. While the chapter takes an extensive and macro approach to children’s living conditions, qualitative illustrations from ongoing or recent research projects are put forward to complement the former perspective. A comparative view will often be introduced so that the Portuguese case is framed with regard to other Southern European countries or the EU as a whole.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A tale of two families: chance and serendipity in researching food poverty

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Entre percurso de vida e desigualdades sociais: propostas de articulação e resultados de pesquisa

Este artigo reconstitui um percurso conceptual que articulou a perspetiva do percurso de vida com a sociologia das desigualdades e das classes sociais. Apresenta-se a perspetiva do percurso de vida, refletindo-se sobre a centralidade que confere aos processos de regulação institucional. Partindo de uma crítica às explicações de cariz atomista, bem como aos determinismos de cariz estruturalista, advoga-se uma leitura diacrónica dos efeitos das desigualdades sociais sobre as trajetórias, mobilizando conceitos propostos por Bourdieu. Demonstra-se a potencialidade de tal abordagem para a discussão em torno das trajetórias de vida na modernidade tardia, convocando resultados de pesquisas sobre a sociedade portuguesainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio