Transforming the role of modern family: Ethical Challenges

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57125/FP.2023.09.30.02

Keywords:

microsociety, emotional support, cultural diversity, technology, gender roles

Abstract

The research is aimed to explain the transforming role of modern family and outline the existing ethical challenges. The research is to achieve the following objectives: description of the concept of family within the society; explanation of the characteristics and functions of modern family; presentation of the ethical challenges that family members face; and revealing the changes characterizing the family in future. To conduct the research, four theoretical approaches were used: conceptual, empirical, interdisciplinary, ethical and normative. The sample involved 112 participants aged 24-73 representing 98 households from four different regions of Ukraine (Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Odesa, and Sumy). The data was collected through online questionnaires, one-to-one interviews, focus group discussions, and secondary data. The data was analyzed using the interpretive synthesis that created a comprehensive understanding of the problem. The findings showed that modern families are characterized by diverse structures, changing social norms, shared parenting, different gender roles as well as increasing multiculturalism. The functions of modern family relate to socialization, emotional support, economic stability, cultural and religious transmissions across generations, long-term care planning, civic responsibility, formation of ethical values, and community engagement. The ethical challenges refer to integration of digital technology, work-life balance, gender equality, generation gaps, cultural diversity, the adoption of eco-friendly practices, and equity. The changes of family in future include the increased recognition and acceptance of diverse family structure, technology integration, work-life integration, changes related to economics, growing emphasis on sustainable living practices, increased mobility, changing social norms and values, and the necessity of building resilience during uncertainty. The research on the transforming the role of modern family has significant implications for the social understanding and adaptation to the changing family dynamics. Practically, this research emphasizes the necessity for the development of the educational programs to help family members cope with the challenges above-mentioned.

References

Aivalioti, I., & Pezirkianidis, C. (2020). The Role of Family Resilience on Parental Well-Being and Resilience Levels. Psychology, 11, 1705-1728. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2020.1111108

Averianova, N., & Voropaieva, T. (2020). Transformation of the Collective Identity of Ukrainian Citizens After the Revolution of Dignity (2014–2019). Kyiv-Mohyla Humanities Journal, 7, 45-71. https://doi.org/10.18523/kmhj219654.2020-7.45-71

Beer, B. (2022). ‘Clan’ and ‘Family’: Transformations of Sociality among the Wampar, Papua New Guinea. Histories, 2(1), 15-32. https://doi.org/10.3390/histories2010002

Bellettini, G., Berti Ceroni, C., Cantoni, E., Monfardini, C., & Schafer, J. (2023). Modern Family? The Gendered Effects of Marriage and Childbearing on Voter Turnout. British Journal of Political Science, 53(3), 1016–1040. doi:10.1017/S0007123422000680

Borodenko, O., & Sitarchuk, R. (2022). Ukrainian Interfaith Families in the Context of Church, Marriage, and Social Relations of the 19th Century. Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 42(2), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2148.2330

Chen, G., Zhang, J., Hu, Y., & Gao, Y. (2022). Gender role attitudes and work-family conflict: A multiple mediating model including moderated mediation analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1032154. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1032154

Chen, I., Tang, P., & Saba, P. (2023). The Development of Gender Roles: From Two-Parent Families to Single-Parent Families with One Gender Role Missing. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 11, 376-395. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2023.116024.

Chernyak, E. (2022). Globalization and Modern Family. In R. Baikady, S. Sajid, J. Przeperski, V. Nadesan, M. R. Islam, J. Gao, J. (Eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_108-1

Daks, J. S., Peltz, J. S., & Rogge, R. D. (2022). The impact of psychological flexibility on family dynamics amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal perspective. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 26, 97–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2022.08.011

Drabble, L. A., Wootton, A. R., Veldhuis, C. B., Riggle, E. D. B., Rostosky, S. S., Lannutti, P. J., Balsam, K. F., & Hughes, T. L. (2021). Perceived psychosocial impacts of legalized same-sex marriage: A scoping review of sexual minority adults' experiences. PloS One, 16(5), e0249125. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249125

Eerola, P., Paananen, M., & Repo, K. (2021). ‘Ordinary’ and ‘diverse’ families. A case study of family discourses by Finnish early childhood education and care administrators. Journal of Family Studies, 29(2), 489–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2021.1939100

Ferraro, O., & Cristiano, E. (2021). Family Business in the Digital Age: The State of the Art and the Impact of Change in the Estimate of Economic Value. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(7), 301. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14070301

Ganiyeva, F. (2022). The Role of the Family as a Social Institution in the Formation of Society in Modern Times. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7, 1566-1581. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1151077

Gupta, A., & Kashyap, S. (2020). Growing up in a Single Parent Family; A Determining factor of Adolescent’s Well-being. Advanced Journal of Social Science, 7(1), 138–144. https://doi.org/10.21467/ajss.7.1.138-144

Hämäläinen, J., Chen, H., & Zhao, F. (2019). The Chinese welfare philosophy in light of the traditional concept of family. International Social Work, 62(1), 224-239. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872817721736

Han, J., Lee, J., & Kim, S.-J. (2021). How Does Family Involvement Affect Environmental Innovation? A Socioemotional Wealth Perspective. Sustainability, 13(23), Article 13114. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313114

Jackson Levin, N., Kattari, S. K., Piellusch, E. K., & Watson, E. (2020). "We Just Take Care of Each Other": Navigating 'Chosen Family' in the Context of Health, Illness, and the Mutual Provision of Care amongst Queer and Transgender Young Adults. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), Article 7346. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197346

Kalmijn, M. (2020). Feelings of Guilt in the Family: The Case of Divorced Parents. In D. Mortelmans (Ed.) Divorce in Europe. European Studies of Population, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25838-2_13

Kampourakis, K. (2019). Empirical Philosophy of Science. Science & Education, 28, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-019-00035-3

Kane, L. W. (2019). What is a family? Considerations on purpose, biology, and sociality. Public Affairs Quarterly, 33(1), 65–88. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26910010

Kim, S., & Feyissa, I. F. (2021). Conceptualizing "Family" and the Role of "Chosen Family" within the LGBTQ+ Refugee Community: A Text Network Graph Analysis. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 9(4), 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9040369

Knoblauch, C. (2023). Cultural and Religious Diversity in Early Childhood Education Implications of Socialization and Education for the Geographies of Childhood. Religions, 14(4), 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040555

Krainatee, M., Dhammasaccakarn, W., & Sungkharat, U. (2020). Family: The Social Key Institutions and Roles of Holistic Human Development. Parichart Journal, 33(1), 1–16. https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/parichartjournal/article/view/158941

Kramer, K. L. (2021). The Human Family—Its Evolutionary Context and Diversity. Social Sciences, 10(6), Article 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10060191

Kraus, B. (2020). A Look at the Contemporary Family’s Life. In Contemporary Family Lifestyles in Central and Western Europe. SpringerBriefs in Sociology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48299-2_1

Kruty, K., Rodiuk, N., Desnova, I., Blashkova, O., Pakhalchuk, N., Holiuk, O., & Stulika, O. (2023). Transformation of life and personal values system of modern Ukrainian youth. Society. Integration. Education: Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, 2, 419-328. https://doi.org/10.17770/sie2023vol2.7083

Leung, Y. K., Mukerjee, J., & Thurik, R. (2019). The role of family support in work-family balance and subjective well-being of SME owners. Journal of Small Business Management, 58(1), 130–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2019.1659675

Lin, X., Chen, Q., Wei, L., Lu, Y., Chen, Y., & He, Z. (2022). Exploring the trend in religious diversity: Based on the geographical perspective. PloS One, 17(7), Article e0271343. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271343

Malaczewska, P., & Malaczewski, M. (2022). Marriage, divorce and coronavirus – theoretical analysis of the influence of COVID-19 on family capital. Economics and Business Review, 8(3), 126–142. https://doi.org/10.18559/ebr.2022.3.7

Merson, T., Tuffin, K., & Pond, R. (2023). Young people’s reflections on their experiences of shared care and relationships with their parents. Journal of Family Studies, 29(5), 2391–2407. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2023.2179526

Morrissey, T. W., Cha, Y., Wolf, S., & Khan, M. (2020). Household economic instability: Constructs, measurement, and implications. Children and Youth Services Review, 118, Article 105502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105502

PenzeyMoog, E., & Slakoff, D. C. (2021). As Technology Evolves, so Does Domestic Violence: Modern-Day Tech Abuse and Possible Solutions. In J. Bailey, A. Flynn, N. Henry (Eds) The Emerald International Handbook of Technology-Facilitated Violence and Abuse (Emerald Studies In Digital Crime, Technology and Social Harms) (pp. 643-662). Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83982-848-520211047

Perry, C., & Fraser, R. (2020). A Qualitative Analysis of New Norms on Transition Days in Blended Families. Sociology Mind, 10, 55-69. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2020.102005

Prakasha, C. (2023). Promoting Safe Spaces: Creating Inclusive Educational Environments for Transgender Students. EIKI Journal of Effective Teaching Methods, 1(3). https://doi.org/10.59652/jetm.v1i3.49

Russell, L. T., Ganong, L., & Beckmeyer, J. J. (2022). Understanding and Serving All Families: Introduction to the Special Issue on Supporting Structurally Diverse Families. Journal of Family Nursing, 28(4), 299-307. https://doi.org/10.1177/10748407221131118

Schaefer, A., Gatrell, C., & Radcliffe, L. (2020). Lone parents and blended families: Advocating flexible working to support families in transition. In S. H. Norgate, C. L. Cooper (Eds.) Flexible Work: Designing Our Healthier Future Lives (pp. 196–212). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429326585-18

Sharlamanov, K., & Petreska, J. (2022). Analysis of the Most Significant Trends in the Transformation of Modern Family. In R. Baikady, S. Sajid, J. Przeperski, V. Nadesan, M. R. Islam, J. Gao (Eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_260-1

Sliusar, L. (2023). The Ukrainian family in the conditions of war. Demography and Social Economy, 52(2), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.15407/dse2023.02.003

Slozanska, A., Stelmakh, S., & Krynytska, I. (2022). Vulnerable families in Ukraine as the main social service users: comparison of the pre-pandemic and pandemic period. Social Work and Society, 20(1): (De)Institutionalisation in the Fields of Social Services and Social Work. https://ejournals.bib.uni-wuppertal.de/index.php/sws/article/view/773

Sullins D. P. (2021). The Case for Mom and Dad. The Linacre Quarterly, 88(2), 184–201. https://doi.org/10.1177/0024363921989491

Svatenkova, T. (2022). The Influence of the Image of the Current Situation in the Family on the Formation of the Child’s Identity. In R. Baikady, S. Sajid, J. Przeperski, V. Nadesan, M. R. Islam, J. Gao (Eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_97-1

Syahira, S., & Qudsyi, H. (2021). Family Functioning and Moral Reasoning Among Early Adolescence. Ittishal Educational Research Journal, 2(2), 18-26. https://doi.org/10.51425/ierj.v2i2.22

Thompson-Hollands, J., Rando, A. A., Stoycos, S. A., Meis, L. A., & Iverson, K. M. (2022). Family Involvement in PTSD Treatment: Perspectives from a Nationwide Sample of Veterans Health Administration Clinicians. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 49(6), 1019–1030. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-022-01214-1

Truong, A., Tram, J. M., Wojda, K., & Anderson, D. M. (2021). Familial and Parental Ethnic Socialization Within Majority, Minority, and Multiracial Groups. The Family Journal, 29(1), 95-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480720977431

Vogt, K. C. (2019). The extended family in transitions to adulthood: a dynamic approach. Journal of Youth Studies, 23(9), 1234–1248. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2019.1663799

Wang, Y., & Luo, P. (2022). Exploring the Needs of Elderly Care in China from Family Caregivers’ Perspective via Machine Learning Approaches. Sustainability, 14(19), Article 11847. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911847

Weerarathna, R., Rathnayake, N., Yasara, I., Jayasekara, P., Ruwanpura, D., & Nambugoda, S. (2022). Towards work-life balance or away? The impact of work from home factors on work-life balance among software engineers during Covid-19 pandemic. PloS One, 17(12), Article e0277931. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277931

Willoughby, B. J., James, S., Marsee, I., Memmott, M., & Dennison, R. P. (2020). “I’m Scared because Divorce Sucks”: Parental Divorce and the Marital Paradigms of Emerging Adults. Journal of Family Issues, 41(6), 711-738. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X19880933

Yatsyna, O. (2020). A Family Without Marriage - Marriage Without a Family: The Transition of the Institutional Foundations of the Family and Diversification of Social Reality. Postmodern Openings, 11(3), 177-194. https://doi.org/10.18662/po/11.3/206

Zach, M. (2019) Conceptual Analysis in the Philosophy of Science. Balkan Journal of Philosophy, 11(2). https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/21740/2/Zach%202019_Conceptual%20analysis%20in%20the%20philosophy%20of%20science_preprint_BJP%2C%20vol%2011%20%282%29.pdf

Zeng, T., Yang, Y., & Man, S. (2022). How Does Family Intergenerational Relationships Affect the Life Satisfaction of Middle-Aged and Elderly Parents in Urban Only-Child Families in Chengdu, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14), 8704. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148704

Żerebecki, B. G., van der Vliet, E., & Kneer, J. (2022). I Want to Be You(r Friend): An Investigation of the Effects of Gendered Personality Traits on Engagement with Different Modern Family Characters. Journalism and Media, 3(2), 362-381. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia3020026

Zhang, Y., Huang, C., & Yang, M. (2023). Family Resilience Progress from the Perspective of Parents of Adolescents with Depression: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(3), 2564. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032564

Zhao, Z., Gong, Y., Li, Y., Zhang, L., & Sun, Y. (2021). Gender-Related Beliefs, Norms, and the Link with Green Consumption. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 710239. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.710239

Downloads

Published

2023-09-30

How to Cite

Tkachenko, L., Gumennykova, T., Pletenytska, L., & Kholokh, O. (2023). Transforming the role of modern family: Ethical Challenges. Futurity Philosophy, 2(3), 17–38. https://doi.org/10.57125/FP.2023.09.30.02