Redefining the family Babsi Hoffmann, Nani Ferstl from AUSTRIA

Traditional family: social group, characterized by: common residence, economic cooperation, reproduction includes : adults of both sexes (at least two of whom: socially approved relationship) one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults.

New forms of families Patchwork families Single parent families Homosexual marriage

Problems to be discussed Teenage parentage Adoption (for homosexual pairs)

Family Law Regulates: –The nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships; –Issues turning up during marriage (> spousal abuse, legitimacy, adoption, surrogacy, child abuse,etc.) –Additional matters of the relationship (>divorce, annulment, property settlements, alimony, etc.)

Patchwork families = Families that consist of mother and father along with their children and children from previous relationships of each of the partners. Mostly caused by the previous divorce of the parents.

Divorce = legal dissolution of a marriage 3 types: –At-fault divorce –No fault divorce –Summary divorce Average duration of a marriage (in 1995): –Italy: 17.2 years –Germany: 11.5 years –The Netherlands: 11.5 years –Austria: 10.6 years

Single parent families: = A parent, caring for his/her children without the assistance of another person in the house.

Adoption = a legal process, creating a permanent parent-child relationship, where there was none before. Different types, e.g.: infant/newborn, international, step child, relative adoption

Homosexual marriage In Europe only legal in The Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain Domestic partnerships/civil unions: –Varying amount of the benefits of marriage –Currently:Andorra, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.