familjestudier

Familjestudier, or family studies, is an interdisciplinary field that examines the family as a social unit, its structures, processes, and effects on well-being. The field investigates how families form, function, and adapt to changing social, economic, and cultural contexts. It covers a range of family forms and life course stages, from marriage and parenting to aging relatives and multigenerational households.

Key topics include family structure and stability, parenting and child development, intergenerational relationships, work–family balance, caregiving and elder care, fertility patterns, divorce and remarriage, gender roles and power dynamics, social inequality and poverty, migration and ethnicity, technology's role in family life, and the impact of public policies on families.

Methodologically, familjestudier combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. Researchers use surveys, longitudinal data, demographic analysis, time-use studies, and administrative records, complemented by interviews, ethnographies, and case studies. The field draws on sociology, psychology, demography, anthropology, economics, social work, and public health to illuminate both individual outcomes and broader family processes.

In higher education, familjestudier is taught in universities in Scandinavian countries, often within faculties of sociology, psychology, or social work. Graduates work in academia, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and family services, contributing to policy development, program evaluation, and support services for families and children.