Page 114 - IJPS-11-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Family policy from a global perspective

and, to a lesser extent, on other Organization for Economic following dimensions, impacting the level and direction
Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The of state involvement in regulating family behaviors and
global perspective is emerging but remains a peripheral relationships: Familiarization versus defamiliarization,
and underdeveloped area of intellectual inquiry. secularization and emancipative values, attitudes toward
gender roles, and openness toward diverse family forms
In the next section, we will explore the underlying
cultural characteristics that shape national contexts and (Lohmann & Zagel, 2016; Roberts, 2019; Surkyn &
presumably serve as a relevant framework within which Lesthaeghe, 2004). Furthermore, societal attitudes toward
family policies are devised. Our analysis will primarily demographic development and fertility may influence the
center on state policies related to families with children. objectives and specific direction of family policy.
While caregiving for older people can also be subsumed 1.3.1. Familiarization and defamiliarization
under family policy, and historically, this may have
been an important part of family responsibilities, this is The concept of familiarization versus defamiliarization
progressively becoming less central. Countries exhibit has emerged from extensive discussions within the
substantial variation in the extent to which public policies framework of traditional welfare state typology.
support informal elder care. However, among the 35 It is defined as the extent to which the family is
European countries analyzed by Spasova et al. (2018), only expected to absorb social risks relative to the state.
three have legally mandated family responsibilities for Defamiliarization refers to the degree of support for an
adult children toward their parents, and these regulations individual’s independence from family relationships,
are typically situated within the emerging long-term care including the autonomy of women and the reduction of
policy rather than family policy. As such, our primary intergenerational dependency (Leitner, 2003; Lohmann
focus will be on families with young children. & Zagel, 2016). In contrast, familialistic attitudes and
policies obligate the family to meet the care needs of
1.3. Cultural variation and family policy its members, thereby fostering dependence on family
support for those in need of care. Familialization is
In pursuit of our research objectives, acquiring a complex concept that, to a large extent, overlaps
information on how populations in different countries with the role of gender in providing welfare to family
perceive family policy and the extent of support for such members. In this sense, we concur with Saxonberg
measures would be valuable. Regrettably, comprehensive (2013, p. 27), who states that “the terms ‘familiarization’
cross-national data for such assessments are currently and ‘defamiliarization’ are... ambiguous... many scholars
unavailable. However, insights from international use the terms differently, leading to significantly different
comparative research on attitudes toward the welfare state results.” Nevertheless, this concept has proven to be a
reveal that approval of social policy measures and state valuable tool for understanding the development and
income redistribution, aimed at reducing inequalities, impact of family-related policy measures, as seen,
varies significantly among groups of countries. Support for example, in Latin American countries (Sátyro &
for social policies is shaped not only by individual Midaglia, 2021).
interests or values but also by country-specific conditions
(Dallinger, 2008). It is reasonable to expect that the 1.3.2. Secularization and emancipative values
cultural conception of family and gender roles, which can The relationship between religious beliefs and
profoundly influence support for family policy measures, modernization processes is nuanced and more complex
also exhibits substantial variation across societies. This than a straightforward negative correlation between religion
variation has been observed in European countries (Lück and various manifestations of modernization, including
& Castrén, 2018; Trommsdorff, 2006; Van Vlimmeren family structure and family relations (Kaufmann, 1997).
et al., 2017) and is evident in the social legislation of Yet, the cultural foundation within which family relations
respective societies (Nygren et al., 2018).
and family models evolve can be profoundly affected by
We posit that cultural ideals, belief systems, and religious beliefs. Studies examining the role of religion in
convictions significantly contribute to shaping the actions marital and parent–child relationships identified numerous
of individuals and policymakers, thereby influencing topics where religion can play a role, including union
the policy areas that receive the most attention and the formation, fertility, spousal roles, marital satisfaction and
selection of policy instruments and configurations in a conflict, divorce, domestic violence, infidelity, pregnancy,
given society (Lohmann & Zagel, 2018). Along which parenting, and coping with family distress (Mahoney, 2010;
dimensions are cultural and structural trends likely to affect Surkyn & Lesthaeghe, 2004). Even in highly secularized
family policies? We propose that countries differ along the societies, many family-related life course rituals, such as

Volume 11 Issue 3 (2025) 108 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.1993