Time For Family
December 19 2003
Traditional Christmas cheer from the December edition of HenlEymail, the Henley Centre's electronic newsletter, which reports that the family is alive and well, and growing in importance as a source of emotional sustenance for consumers around the globe.
The article points out that 'across the world, the family is a changed institution' with 'a divorce here, singles united under one roof there, and a childless marriage in between'. Statistics sometimes suggest a gloomy picture of the break-up of family life:
- In France, half of all first-born children are now born out of wedlock
- The fertility rate has come down to 1.15 children in Spain and 1.19 in Italy
- At current rates more than one third of marriages in the EU will be dissolved.
- In traditionally family-oriented China, nearly a quarter of women under 30 are opting to forego having children altogether.
- Britain's average household size is now just 2.4 people, down 20% since 1971; there are over 7 million single person households in the UK.
However, the article says that widespread rumours of the death of the family are unfounded. 'Faced with an increasingly risky climate and a general sense of powerlessness, people are turning inward, and the family is growing in importance as a source of emotional sustenance and unconditional love. We are trusting institutions less and less, but this is not reflected in an overall trend towards cynicism. Instead we are putting greater trust in family ties, as a bastion of security in an uncertain world'.
The latest HenleyWorld global consumer insight survey finds family rated second only to physical health as the most important factor influencing our overall sense of wellbeing. 'Across ten markets surveyed, family is by far the number one source of personal pride for young people. The UK and US are seeing an especially strong resurgence in family values; over half of young people in these countries say they share the same basic values as their parents. The stereotype of the UK teen is a surly parent-hater, but most look to family members as role models, much more so than to celebrities'.
In some countries and regions, family traditions remain strong - in Spain it is quite familiar for youths to remain at home long after they have graduated from university and often until they are married - while in others new economic factors are working to strengthen, not weaken the family. For example the ageing population and faltering pensions system so familiar of late to Brits and others mean that 'many parents will turn towards the rent-free security of their children's homes'. The research also confirms that 'we turn to our partners and mums for advice on just about everything, from diet to holidays to parties to DIY. And most of us agree that when it comes to advice on childcare, Mother knows best'.
The article concludes that the form families take is certainly changing - but the importance of families overall is undiminished, even increasing - the full article is at
www.henleycentre.com/viewarticle.php?id=27 The Henley Centre is a leading international strategic marketing consultancy helping clients to make sense of changing consumer behaviour - contact via
future@henleycentre.com
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.
