Impact of Family Structure Changes on Child Wellbeing

Abstract

The family is the basic social unit which plays an important role in care, nurturing and socialization of children. Family systems theorists postulated that the family is an organized unit where family-level processes effect children (Maršanić & Kušmić, 2013). They contextualized the child with the reference to family system and conceive its wellbeing dependent on its entire functioning (McKeown & Sweeny, 2001). This paper analyzes the impact of the change of family structures on child wellbeing in Western developed countries and Western Balkan countries during the last decades. Using secondary data, it concludes that more longitudinal and cross-sectional research is needed to understand the direct impact of the change of the family structure on child wellbeing. It highlights the importance of application of multidimensional interventions that promote a sustainable family institution and child wellbeing.

Keywords: family, family structure, family systems theory, children, child wellbeing.