This book presents a standardized framework for the analysis of family development and family policies in Europe. It offers an accessible and coherent account of how harmonized--or not--the various countries are in terms of cultural and political attitudes towards the family, as well as institutions.

This is a comparative study of family change in Europe and its dependency on social policy regimes. The authors explore family discourse, family law, single parents, gender relations, the 'new fathers', divorce, and abortion within the framework of national policies vis-à-vis the family.