Reviewing family studies: a brief comment on selected topics

Abstract

In the face of changes in the family and of academic concerns that have become evident in the study of the influence of such changes, the data collecting and theoretical framework used in family research deserve close attention. In this paper I review briefly some important international contributions to the field of family studies and point out challenges and still unanswered questions for future research in Brazil. The three main topics treated here are: 1) changes in the concept of family; 2) women’s, and especially mothers’, presence in the labor market (income, job opportunities, hiring preferences, etc.) and, more specifically, the transformation of the discussion from the working woman to the working family; and, 3) the influence of both these aspects on child rearing. At the end of the paper I reinforce previous research suggesting improvements in projects for collecting data. On the theoretical side I highlight the importance of three frameworks. First, the economic aspect of social action is not the only factor effecting how people make decisions in the family sphere. Second, there is need to revise the theory of the Second Demographic Transition approach, especially regarding migration and mortality and their relationship to family. Third, there is need for greater integration among demographic studies, gender studies, and feminist theories.