Het Westers Urbane Gezin

Samenvatting

A review of several theories & recent research regarding contemporary Western Urban family life. The widely accepted proposition that an isolated family unit is the most adaptable to the demands of modern culture is discussed against the theories of those who state that functional alternatives are possible. A review of research results concerning different SE classes shows that such alternatives do exist. In modern Western Urban society the family unit often does not exist in an isolated form; it appears to be fused in a functional network of relatives, neighbors, & friends (modified extended families, family networks). This raises the question of whether the often implicit comparison between 'our' family & relative system with traditional systems in non-Western societies creates more confusion than clarity, since behind such comparisons there frequently exists hidden evolutionary implications. Modified HA.