Chart: Percentage of people that say family is very or quite important in their lives
The EVS data highlights that, despite family being considered important across the continent, there are differences in the degree of importance attributed to it in different countries. Authors like Inglehart (2018) and Robila (2004) have explored these dynamics, highlighting how social, economic, and political changes influence family values. For instance, Robila discusses how the post-communist transition in many Eastern European countries has reinforced the importance of the family as a social safety net.
In some Eastern European countries, the family continues to be a fundamental structure providing economic and social support, particularly in contexts of economic transition and political instability (Robila, 2004). In contrast, in Western European countries, although the family remains important, there are trends towards more diversified family models and a greater emphasis on individualism (Inglehart, 2018). This is evident in countries like the Netherlands and France, where the percentages of people who consider the family very important are lower compared to many Eastern European countries.
The diversity in family perceptions also reflects differences in social and family policies among various countries. For example, in Scandinavian countries, well-developed welfare policies can offer an alternative support system to the family, whereas in other contexts, like Eastern Europe, the family often remains the sole support for many individuals (Hakim, 2003).
Chart: Percentage of people that think marriage is an outdated institution
Source: Atlas of European Values
The above chart shows the percentage of people who think marriage is an obsolete institution, highlighting a clear distinction between the perceptions of younger and older generations, as well as regional variation.
Younger generations tend to have more progressive values, placing greater emphasis on individuality and self-realization rather than traditions, while older people tend to maintain more traditional values, viewing marriage as an important milestone in life (Inglehart, 2018). Older generations grew up in times when marriage was considered essential for social and personal stability, whereas young people have access to more educational and professional opportunities, which can reduce the reliance on marriage as an economic and social structure.
Western European countries, such as Italy (IT), France (FR), and Spain (ES), show a higher percentage of people who see marriage as obsolete compared to Eastern European countries like Georgia (GE), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), and Poland (PL). This can be linked to the fact that Western countries have undergone more intense modernization and secularization processes, leading to greater acceptance of alternative forms of cohabitation (Inglehart and Norris, 2003). They often have more developed welfare policies that support people regardless of marital status, reducing the economic necessity of marriage.
Chart: Perceptions of gender roles and the impact of women’s work on family and children
Source: Atlas of European Values
The chart shows Europeans’ attitudes towards gender roles and the impact of women’s work on family and children. The four highlighted response categories are “Child suffers when mother works” (an indicator measuring the perception that mothers’ work negatively impacts their children); “What woman wants most is home and children” (represents the belief that women’s primary desire is to focus on family rather than a career); “Family suffers when woman has full-time job” (reflects the perception that a woman’s full-time job can be detrimental to family well-being), and “A man should earn money and a woman should look after home and children” (reflects a traditional view of gender roles).
Nordic countries generally show low levels of agreement with all these statements, reflecting a progressive culture that supports gender equality; in these countries, the perception that women’s work harms the family or children is less common. In Central and Western European countries, the percentages are relatively low but slightly higher than in Nordic countries. This indicates a balance between traditional and modern values.
In Eastern and Southern European countries, the percentages are significantly higher, suggesting greater adherence to traditional gender roles and a stronger perception that women’s work can be harmful to the family, reaching the highest levels in Caucasian countries.
To study in depth and become acquainted with our studies on the European Value of Work, please refer to publications based on the EVS data and listed in the EVS Bibliography (the EVS Bibliography is annually updated) of which you can find below an excerpt of the latest:
Hakim, C. (2003). Models of the Family in Modern Societies: Ideals and Realities. Ashgate.
Inglehart, R. (2018). Cultural Evolution: People’s Motivations are Changing, and Reshaping the World. Cambridge University Press.
Inglehart, R., & Norris, P. (2003). Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change Around the World. Cambridge University Press.
Robila, M. (2004). Families in Eastern Europe: Context, Trends, and Variations. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
To study in depth and become acquainted with our studies on the European Value of Work, please refer to publications based on the EVS data and listed in the EVS Bibliography (the EVS Bibliography is annually updated) of which you can find below an excerpt of the latest:
Abattouy, Ouissam; Stevens, Gonneke W. J. M.; Walsh, Sophie D. and Davison, Colleen M. (2023): “Family Support Differences Between Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Adolescents Across 30 Countries: Examining the Moderating Role of Cultural Distance, Culture of Origin, and Reception in Receiving Societies”. In: Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 54 (4): 434-456.
Adema, Willem and Fluchtmann, Jonas (2023): “Overview: Facing a future with demographic change in Norway”. In: Exploring Norway’s Fertility, Work, and Family Policy Trends, edited by OECD, 10-33. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Arpino, Bruno; Gumà, Jordi and Julià, Albert (2023): “Non-standard family histories and wellbeing at older ages”. In: Social Science & Medicine 338: 1-9.
Artsiomenka-Melyantsova, A. K. (2021): “Urbanization as a factor of family values transformation”. In: Социальные практики и развитие городской среды: урбанистика и инноватика, edited by И. В. Пинчук, Ю. Ю. Гафарова, О. В. Новикова and А. Я. Сарна, 18-23. Minsk: Минск: БГУ.
Băluță, Ionela and Tufiș, Claudiu (2023): “Preaching the “Traditional Family” in the Romanian Parliament: The Political Stakes and Meanings of a Hegemonic Narrative”. In: East European Politics and Societies: 1-23.
Baranowska-Rataj, Anna and Matysiak, Anna (2022): “Family Size and Men’s Labor Market Outcomes: Do Social Beliefs About Men’s Roles in the Family Matter?”. In: Feminist Economics 28 (2): 93-118.
Bramanti, Donatella; Moscatelli, Matteo and Regalia, Camillo (2021): “Country Report: Intergenerational Family Solidarity and Key Life Domains in Italy”. In: Families and Family Values in Society and Culture, edited by Isabelle Albert, Mirza Emirhafizovic, Carmit-Noa Shpigelman and Ursula Trummer, 225-250. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.
Das, Aniruddha (2022): “Secularism, family ties and loneliness: A multilevel longitudinal study of ten European societies”. In: Social Science Research 101: 1-12.
Diederich, Freya; König, Hans-Helmut and Brettschneider, Christian (2022): “Cultural differences in the intended use of long-term care services in the United States: The role of family ties”. In: The Journals of Gerontology: Series B 77 (1): 201–211.
Doblyte, Sigita and Tejero, Aroa (2021): “Support for Family Policies in South Europe”. In: Global Dialogue 10 (1): 32-33.
Dotti Sani, Giulia M. (2021): “Is it “Good” to Have a Stay-at-Home Mom? Parental Childcare Time and Work–Family Arrangements in Italy, 1988–2014”. In: Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 28 (4): 896–920. First published online: July 22, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxaa014.
Galdauskaitė, Dovilė (2023): “Links between gender role attitudes and fertility changes between 1990–2017: Lithuania from a comparative perspective”. In: Journal of Baltic Studies: 1-21
Glas, Saskia (2023): “What Gender Values Do Muslims Resist? How Religiosity and Acculturation Over Time Shape Muslims’ Public-Sphere Equality, Family Role Divisions, and Sexual Liberalization Values Differently”. In: Social Forces 101 (3): 1199-1229.
Gutmann, Jerg and Voigt, Stefan (2022): “Testing Todd: family types and development”. In: Journal of Institutional Economics 18 (1): 101-118.
Gutmann, Jerg and Voigt, Stefan (2020): “Family Types and Political Development”. ILE Working Paper Series. (34). Hamburg: University of Hamburg, Institute of Law and Economics. https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/216096/1/ile-wp-2020-34.pdf.
Halla, Martin; Schmieder, Julia and Weber, Andrea (2020): “Job Displacement, Family Dynamics, and Spousal Labor Supply”. In: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 12 (4): 253-287. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20180671.
Hess, Moritz; Schmitz, Wiebke; Naegele, Laura and Stiemke, Philipp (2023): “You will take care of me when I am old: Norms on children’s caregiver obligations – An analysis with data from the European Values Study”. In: Journal of Family Research 35: 196-211.
Hook, Jennifer L.; Li, Meiying; Paek, Eunjeong and Cotter, Brigid (2023): “National work–family policies and the occupational segregation of women and mothers in European countries, 1999–2016”. In: European Sociological Review 39 (2): 280–300.
Hook, Jennifer L. and Paek, Eunjeong (2020): “National Family Policies and Mothers’ Employment: How Earnings Inequality Shapes Policy Effects across and within Countries”. In: American Sociological Review 85 (3): 381-416.
Jozwiak, Andreas (2022): “It’s a Family (Policy) Affair: Family Policies and Heterogeneity in Gender Attitudes”. In: Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 29 (1): 215–239.
Koroļeva, Ilze; Pranka, Maruta and Elksne, Ginta (2023): “Family Values From The Perspective Of Different Generations In Latvian Society Today”. In: Journal of International Scientific Publications: Language, Individual & Society 17: 109-123.
Laplante, Benoît; Castro-Martín, Teresa; Cortina, Clara and Fostik, Ana (2020): “Unmarried cohabitation and its fertility in Ireland: Towards post-Catholic family dynamics?”. In: Irish Journal of Sociology 28 (1): 5-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/0791603519865410.
Lim, Sokchea; Kahai, Simran K. and Khun, Channary (2022): “Culture and income across countries: evidence from family ties”. In: Journal of Economic Studies 49 (2): 213-226.
Litina, Anastasia and Varvarigos, Dimitrios (2023): “Family Ties and Corruption”. In: The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics 23 (1): 195-222.
Lomazzi, Vera (2022): “Improving measurements by survey infrastructures synergies: insights from the revised gender role attitudes scale in the European Values Study 2017”. In: Quality & Quantity 56: 4855–4877.
Mohun Himmelweit, Samuel (2023): “Shifting worlds of father politics? Comparing path-departing change in paternity and parental leave policy in Germany and the UK”. In: Journal of Family Studies 29 (6): 2556-2575.
Moreno-Mínguez, Almudena; Romero-Balsas, Pedro and Laß, Inga (2022): “Labour markets, families and public policies shaping gender relations and parenting: Introduction to the Special Issue”. In: Journal of Family Research 34 (3): 847–863.
Panagiotopoulou, Penny; Gari, Aikaterini and Emvalotis, Anastassios (2022): “Traditional and Post-Materialist Values About Family and Marriage in Greece”. In: Reflections on European Values: Honouring Loek Halman’s contribution to the European Values Study, edited by Ruud Luijkx, Tim Reeskens and Inge Sieben, 448-461. Tilburg: Open Press TiU.
Paskov, Marii and Weisstanner, David (2022): “Cross-Class Embeddedness through Family Ties and Support for Income Redistribution”. In: European Sociological Review 38 (2): 286–303.
Salamánková, Monika (2020): “Role rodinného zázemí pro utváření postmaterialistických i rodinných hodnot a postojů: Analýza českého prostředí na datech EVS (The Role of Family Background in the Formation of Postmaterialist and Family Values and Attitudes: an Analysis of the Czech context using EVS data)”. Masaryk University. Thesis. Brno. https://is.muni.cz/th/z1nkb/.
Šrajer, Jindřich (2021): “Prosperity of the Family – the Future of the World and the Church”. In: Family Forum (10): 37-55.
Somogyi, Nikolett; Nagy, Beáta; Geambașu, Réka and Gergely, Orsolya (2023): “‘The children, the family, the household, and myself, these made the quarantine up for me, and I was really happy with it’ – positive evaluations of the first COVID-19 lockdown among middle-class Hungarian mothers”. In: Journal of Family Studies 29 (4): 1904-1922.
Šrajer, Jindřich (2021): “Prosperity of the Family – the Future of the World and the Church”. In: Family Forum (10): 37-55.
Štefaňak, Ondrej and Zozuľaková, Viera (2021): “The relation of family, freedom and religion – separate or connected values? (sociological and ethical implications)”. In: Sociológia a spoločnosť 6 (1): 86-101.
Zych, Izabela and Nasaescu, Elena (2022): “Is radicalization a family issue? A systematic review of family-related risk and protective factors, consequences, and interventions against radicalization”. In: Campbell Systematic Reviews 18 (3): 1-68.