Sociological Conceptual Analysis of Family Policy in Slovenia

The research project will focus on conceptual analysis of family policy in Slovenia as defined in the basic document, the Resolution on Forming Family Policy in RS. The analysis will be carried out from the perspective of the latest trends in family life, which show that the family is facing important changes through the processes of family pluralisation. At the same time the analysis will focus on conceptual frameworks of family policies in countries of EU, where family changes seem to be taken into account within the family policies.

The main hypothesis is that conceptual framework of family policy and measures deriving from the Resolution in many respects do not take into account the latest trends in family life and sociological knowledge in this field. At the same time they do not take into account the latest concepts which define family policies in countries of EU. In this respect the conceptual framework in the key document of family policy in Slovenia (the Resolution) seems to be insufficient and requires new rethinking.

The basic aim of the proposed research project is to offer the results of sociological conceptual analysis, which would inform policy makers in the field of family policy in Slovenia about the logic of family functioning today, and about the latest approaches within the family policies in members of EU. This would serve as a basis for their measures and decisions. The aim of the project in this respect is to offer proposals for conceptual improvements of family policy in Slovenia (through conceptual changes in the Resolution), which would take into account the mentioned family trends and family policies (conceptual frameworks and best practices) in countries of EU.

Project leader: Alenka Švab