Changes in the life patterns of families in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Changes in two major areas of social life, the family and work, have been produced over several decades by the complex interaction of many demo graphic, social, economic and technological forces.This article attempts to document some of these changes in four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.The analysis is based on published statistical sources.It more or less covers the 20th century, from 1900 to around 1975.Due to the preliminary nature of this report, the deeper connections between family and work remain relatively implicit.But even from the descriptive data presented here it becomes evident that both the family and work have undergone pro found changes during this century.This report is the first one prepared by Finnish researchers for the compara tive study on »Changes in the life patterns of families in Europe», which in 1979 was started by the European Coordination Center for Research and Documentation in the Social Sciences (Vienna Center) as a result of a Nordic initiative.The Finnish Academy is financing part of the study in Finland as well as paying some of the costs of a Nordic secretary coordinating the study at the Vienna Center.