Crisis of Institute of Family.
What happens to the family? The small cell of the social organism of mankind, through which for centuries and millennia the material and spiritual values, traditions and culture of communities and nations were transferred, is seriously ill. After the social upheavals of the century, the secularization of society, the relativization of the values of the post-industrial era, the emancipation of women and feminism, the family experiences a period of mutation.
The crisis of the family as an institution became evident by the end of the 1970s. XX century. It manifests itself in an unusually high (up to half of the number of marriages) divorce rates and the growing share of incomplete families, in the level of fertility, which is substantially lower than that necessary for the “reproduction” of the population. Other manifestations of the crisis are the replacement of a normal marriage by “living together”, the appearance of “same-seуx marriages”. The same is signaled by the popularity of political theories stemming from the fundamental absence of differences between the sexes, despite the fact that one of the “equal” sexes (as previously “oppressed”) should be “more equal”.
For 26 years (1980-2006), the number of marriages in the EU countries decreased by more than 737 thousand (-23.9%), reaching a critical level. The marriage rate (the number of marriages per thousand people) decreased from 6.75 in 1980 to 4.85 in 2006. In some countries, this decline has reached a catastrophic level. In the UK, Portugal and Belgium, the number of marriages has increased by 33%, and in Bulgaria, Slovenia and Hungary – almost 50% less than in 1980.
Moreover, the number of European families is declining. For 25 years (1980-2005), the average size of families has decreased from 2.82 people to 2.4. In some countries, this figure barely exceeds 2 people: in Germany (2.1), Denmark (2.1), Finland (2.1) and Sweden (2.2). The largest size of the average family is recorded in Malta (3.2), Cyprus (3.1), Romania (2.9) and Spain (2.9). In the same time, the number of families consisting of one person is growing. Their share reached 27.7%. More than 54 million Europeans live alone. There are more and more families where there are no children – 67%. And only 17% of families have two or more children.
Moreover, every fifth pregnancy (18.5%) ends with an abortion. And this means that abortion is the main cause of death in Europe. The largest share of abortions was recorded in France (206311), Great Britain (194353), Romania (150246), Italy (129272), Germany (119710) and Spain (101592). The fastest growth in the number of abortions (almost twice) in 1996-2006. was observed in Spain.
Statistical data and researches of European scientists show that the crisis of the family do not only exists, but also actively progresses. “Demographic winter” has led to the fact that many countries compensate for the gradual degeneration of the ethnic majority by the influx of immigrants.
Immigration has become the basis of demographic growth in almost all European countries. Only in France and Holland the natural increase exceeds the influx of immigrants. In Italy, there is a negative natural increase (-0.2 million), while the rate of immigration is 15 times higher (+2.9 million). A similar situation in Germany, which compensates for the natural decline in the population (-1.1 million) due to immigrants. Today, 3 out of every 5 immigrants arriving in Europe fall on Spain and Italy. In Hungary, the Czech Republic and Latvia there is a natural decline in population with a low level of immigration. Poland, Romania and Lithuania lose their population as a result of emigration.
However, European countries do not enough pay particular attention to family policy. Denmark, Luxembourg, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Austria allocate more than 3% of their GDP to families, with Denmark (3.8% of GDP) and Luxembourg (3.6% of GDP) offering the most help to families. In a number of countries, family assistance is not among government priorities. Poland, Malta, Spain, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Italy and Portugal spend less than 1.2% of their GDP on this, well below the European average.
This essay will address the root causes of the crisis of the institution of the family, the consequence of which has already caused the “Demographic winter” in the European Union. The solution of this problem is of paramount importance for the protection of ethnic groups in Europe, as well as for the institution of the family, as the fundamental basis for social development and maturation of the individual.
Unfortunately, in the EU there is no body that would be responsible for the family policy. Although there are 5 vice-presidents and 21 committees within the European Commission, no one deals exclusively with the affairs of the family. The Committee on Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities is responsible for solving family problems. In 2004, the European Center for the Study of Family Policy, established in 1989, ceased to exist. Instead, a body with a wider range of tasks (the Demographic and Social Observatory) was established. There are no dedicated to the family policy of the so-called “Green Books” (Green Papers). Of the 95 “Green Books” published since 1984, none is dedicated to the institution of the family.
In this case, one of the main goals that should be achieved is to stimulate the development of a “family-oriented” state policy and encourage the government to pursue a real, effective, comprehensive and universal family policy.
Such a policy should:
- Give the family institution a status of political priority;
- make the “family-oriented” approach an integral part of all activities of the European Union;
- Recognize the rights of the family in all spheres and promote their implementation, especially in the upbringing and education of children;
- Promote the convergence of the policies of individual Member States in this field;
- Achieve equality of opportunity for all European families, avoiding discrimination based on the number of children, the level and distribution of income, etc.
All this requires proper structures, budget allocations, planning, methods and legislation.
However, weakness of family institution has already caused a birth deficit, an increase in the number of divorces and a significant decrease in marriages in the EU. To strengthen the institution of the family, we should facilitate the following steps:
- Establishment (within the EU structure) of the Commission for Family Affairs, which would ensure that the family is given the status of political priority in the EU countries and its recognition by European legislation as the main unit of society, with rights and a role that should be respected and strengthened.
- Call for Member States to establish ministries for family affairs that have sufficient organizational and budgetary capabilities.
- Preparation of the “Green Book” on family problems in Europe, which would include analysis of family problems, their causes and consequences, proposals for their solution, alternative options for action.
- Achieving a pan-European agreement on family issues between political parties, social services and organizations dealing with family issues.
On the other hand, economic support for families is one of the top priorities for solving the family crisis.
There is an obvious link between direct assistance to families and the number of children. Countries that provide more tangible family benefits also have a higher birth rate. For example, in France, Ireland and Luxembourg families with children enjoy significant benefits, so there are more children and a higher fertility rate. In Spain, Poland and Italy, on the contrary, the levels of payments are very low; accordingly, in these countries there are few children and a low birth rate.
The birth rate is affected by differences in the duration of maternity leave, the possibilities of its extension and the amounts of the paid content. Although the average duration of maternity leave is set at 23 weeks, two-thirds of European countries (66%) do not provide such a period. Only a few States allow in special cases a substantial extension of maternity leave. Such cases include: the presence of a large family, multiple births, etc. In some countries, maternity leave is paid at the rate of 100% of wages, in others the amounts paid are lower, and in some countries, payments are not made at all. There is a direct correlation between the volume of social payments for family needs and the level of poverty among children. The higher the volume of family benefits, the lower the probability of child poverty.
It is necessary to gradually bring together the policy of family support in various European countries and increase the fund for material support of families, which implies:
- The allocation by all countries, at the end of five years, of at least 2.5% of GDP for social assistance to families;
- The transition of all countries during the five-year period to a universal family support system;
- Joint financing of benefits for dependent children, provided that these benefits should be universal;
- Convergence of national tax systems aimed at the exemption of family benefits from taxation;
- Annual indexation of family payments in accordance with the rate of inflation.
- Encouraging governments to more evenly distribute social spending and gradually increase the share of family benefits in them, currently it is at 8%.
- Taking measures to support maternity, namely:
- Reduction of the value added tax for a number of important children’s goods (children’s hygiene items, food products, children’s furniture items);
- Establishment of centers for the care of pregnant women to help all mothers during pregnancy, whether married or single.
To be continued…