Families and society

Families come in diverse forms and dynamics in families are ever-changing. From year to year, from decade to decade, we can see patterns emerging around fertility intentions and birth rates; how households are composed; how marriage is practiced; how different generations interrelate; and why and how families care for their loved ones across the age spectrum.

Families, in whatever form they take, are so integral to a healthy, successfully functioning society that when they change, society does too. Likewise, social institutions – including education and health care – have a profound impact on families. Government policies and programs must keep pace with the evolving needs of families.

Our families and society research theme explores the social, economic and cultural context that shapes Australian families' lives. It examines how families form, function and adapt to changing circumstances. We aim to inform policy and practice that supports diverse family structures and promotes inclusion, equity and wellbeing.

Key research areas

Under the families and society research theme, we explore family dynamics and the changing relations between families and social institutions, including:

• Family structures and transitions and how families change over time, including relationship formation and dissolution, fertility intentions and pathways to parenthood and single parent, blended and ageing families.
• Families and employment and the intersection of family life and employment, including paid and unpaid care responsibilities, gender equity in caregiving and workforce participation.
• Housing and economic inclusion and how access to affordable, safe and appropriate housing intersects with financial inclusion, employment and social participation.
• Migration and displacement and how these experiences shape family dynamics, access to services and social inclusion – including settlement pathways and experiences, intergenerational impacts of displacement and cultural identity and belonging.
• Technology and the digital environment, and how digital environments influence family life including technology use across generations, and digital inclusion and safety.