A new book explored recent changes in family life. It examined demographic changes, including the growth in diversity and immigration; the role of mothers, and how the world of work affected their relationships with their children; fathers and their changing role; changes in the relationship between parents and children; the effects of external influences such as marketing and technology; and the relationship between the family and social support networks.
Source: Helen Barrett, UK Family Trends 1994-2004, National Family and Parenting Institute (020 7424 3460)
Links: NFPI press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
A research briefing summarised trends in families and in attitudes towards family life among the Scottish population.
Source: Anita Morrison, Debbie Headrick, Fran Wasoff and Sarah Morton, Family Formation and Dissolution: Trends and attitudes among the Scottish population, Research Findings 43/2004, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Findings | SE press release
Date: 2004-Mar
An article presented summary statistics on families in England and Wales. Of the population living in households (51.1 million) in England and Wales, 83 per cent were living in families in 2001; a further 0.9 million people did not live in households but in communal establishments. In 2001, there were 21.7 million households containing 14.7 million families. 63 per cent of households contained only one family (and no others) and 30 per cent were made up of one-person households. The remaining 7 per cent included other household types such as groups of adults (either related or unrelated) and households containing one or more families with others. The number of families grew between 1991 and 2001, due to a growth in the number of cohabiting-couple and lone-parent families.
Source: 'Families in England and Wales, 2001: numbers and types', Population Trends 115, Spring 2004, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Mar
In mid-2002, 30.9 per cent of those aged 16 and over in England and Wales were single; 52.5 per cent were married; 8.2 per cent were widowed; and 8.4 per cent were divorced.
Source: Mid-2002 Marital Status Population Estimates: England and Wales, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (Download page) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb