FAMILY RELATIONS CHANGES IN THE WESTERN COUNTRIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE FAMILY TRANSFORMATION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Purpose. The article aims to reveal the study results, designed to identify marital and family relations forms changings, increasing the number of individual relationships types in Western Europe and America, and analyzing the European trends impact on family transformation in Ukraine.

Methods. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe reports, the United Nations Birth reports, and different countries statistical services data; countries’ family codes and individual laws were analyzed as well. The analysis revealed marital and family relations forms changings, an increase in the number of individual types of relationships in Western Europe and America. In order to establish the level of dissemination of Western modern family relations concepts in Ukraine, the authors analyzed United Nations Economic Commission for Europe data, State Statistics Service of Ukraine data, Family and Children socio-demographic studies results by Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 2001 census data, 2008–2010 sample studies and individual researchers’ results.

Results. It was established that that in Ukraine, as well as in the Western countries, there is a tendency to increase the marriage age and to postpone a paternity, growing number of the one-child and childless families, an increase of the birth rate outside the formal marriage. Marriage occurs at a more mature age, as well as motherhood (if at all); partnerships, both marital and extramarital, become less lasting and stable, even with children. The use of modern reproductive technologies is becoming widespread. At the same time, despite the fact that civil partnerships and same-sex marriages are legal and widespread in Western countries, such types of family relationships are outlawed in Ukraine.

Conclusions. The article has identified a pattern and a correlation between family changes in Western countries and in Ukraine. It is established that the cultural environment and social processes also have a significant impact on these changes.