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International Journal of
Population Studies Family policy from a global perspective

While there is a general consensus that a family is The term “family policy” emerged in the latter half of
defined as a relationship between two or more individuals the 20 century within European social policy discourse.
th
connected by blood, legal bonds, or shared family It was used to describe public policies designed with the
functions, dissent may arise concerning what or who intent to influence families or individuals in their family
qualifies as a family and whom the family policy should roles. Explicit state responsibility for families developed
target. Furthermore, the evolving cultural notion of later than in many other areas of social policy, such as
family has implications for how family is defined in vital income redistribution and securing the adult life course
statistics, demography, and other purposes carried out by (Gauthier, 1996). Nevertheless, families had been shaped
governmental institutions and international organizations and affected by legal regulations and public policies long
(Selzer, 2019; UN, 2011a). before the concept was introduced in policymaking
and research. As noted by Saraceno (2011, p. 2),
The prototypical norm of a stable nuclear family, with
a breadwinning husband and caregiving wife, which “Governments’ intervention in family matters, regulating
served as a basis for policymaking in developed Western what constitutes a family and what obligations family
members have to each other, dates back to the formation
countries during the twentieth century, is losing ground of nation-states. Access to marriage, the conditions of its
even in its countries of origin. This shift is especially dissolution, the distinction between what is a family and
evident in light of the diverse family constellations that what acknowledged family relationships, the distinction
have emerged, including dual-earner couples, patchwork between legitimate and illegitimate (later “natural”)
families, single mothers cohabiting with new partners, filiation, gender and intergenerational obligations, whether
single parents with children from multiple partners, and how contraception and abortion are allowed, intra-
children of divorced parents residing interchangeably family violence condoned or on the contrary, persecuted
in two households, same-sex families, co-parents of – all these became matters of regulation by law.”
various sexual orientations who reject a partnership but
purposefully conceive and jointly raise children, multi- Early on, family policy was broadly defined as
generational families, skipped generation families, and encompassing “everything that government does to or for
co-residing kin members, to name a few (Liu & Esteve, the family” (Kamerman & Kahn, 1976, p. 183). Similarly,
2021). However, the development of diverse family types Zimmerman (1995, p. 4) proposed understanding family
has not followed a uniform or simultaneous pattern, even policy as “a perspective for understanding and thinking
when considering only European countries (Huinink, about policy in relation to families.” Kaufmann (1993)
2010). This diversity becomes considerably more intricate introduced the distinction between explicit and implicit
when viewed from a global perspective, considering family policy. While many policy measures are motivated
world regions with vastly distinct cultural traditions and by objectives related to the labor market, health, population,
structural conditions. Therborn (2004; 2014) categorized or poverty reduction, they inevitably have implicit effects
seven major family systems worldwide, which, in his on families. Consequently, family policy intertwines
view, are not converging and, in some respects, are rather with other specific policy areas, including population
diverging: the Christian-European family (including New policy, education, labor policy, health, and long-term care
World settlements), Islamic West Asian/North African, policy. Explicit family policy, conversely, involves policy
South Asian, Southeast Asian, Confucian East Asian, sub- measures deliberately targeted at families and the specific
Saharan African, and Creole family patterns. These major needs of family members. Such measures are planned and
family systems correspond closely with world regions, and implemented by public authorities established explicitly
we will analyze them using survey data in the following for these purposes (Kamerman & Kahn, 1978; Kaufmann,
sections of this article. 1993).
Scholars define contemporary family policy as
1.2. Policies
government activities intentionally designed to support
The definition and scope of family policy lack precision families, enhance the well-being of family members, and
and universality, making it a concept characterized by strengthen family relationships (Bogenschneider, 2006).
fuzziness and variable boundaries. The delineation of Recent developments aim to broaden the conceptualization
policies qualifying as family policies and the notion and assess the changes that family policy has undergone in
of what constitutes a family is particularly ambiguous, its historical development (Daly, 2020). Nevertheless, even
especially when considering the global perspective beyond the most recent and comprehensive accounts of research
the European context and countries typically encompassed on family policy (Eydal & Rostgaard, 2018; Nieuwenhuis
in comparative welfare state research. & Van Lancker, 2020b) predominantly focus on Europe

Volume 11 Issue 3 (2025) 107 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1993