International Conference Family change, parental roles and social protection November 5-6, 2025
Family changes in recent decades show the increasing development of a complex system of family relationships, resulting from the diversity and instability of contemporary family life. These transitions have consequences for the economic and socio-emotional well-being of family members, as well as their autonomy. At the same time, they lead to inequalities based on the resources families have to manage these transitions and reduce their potential negative effects. These negative effects are not always mitigated by public policies or the economic and care arrangements made by the adults involved.
Among the significant and still understudied changes accompanying the complexity of family structures, the transformation of the father's role stands out. This is due to both the emergence of new models of male involvement in child-rearing in marital and post-marital contexts, and the readjustment of gender roles and attitudes, along with the tension over who should be responsible for childcare.
This growing complexity means that public policies need to adjust to improve the living conditions of the population, without directly or indirectly favoring a specific type of family. This makes it necessary to discuss to what extent childhood and family support programs promote certain arrangements, and to what extent institutional forms and regulations after union dissolution mitigate the loss of resources.