SASAS

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Family Cohesion, values and wellbeing ‘The family’ has become a significant and growing focus of study across a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities, social sciences, and law. In South Africa, there has been controversy and substantial debate over an apparent ‘crisis of the family’ during the last two decades. Ideological contestations have emerged over social morality and appeals for a return to traditional ‘family values’. In order to provide a better understanding of the supposed ‘crisis of the family’, it is necessary to use public opinion data to explore family cohesion, family values and the promotion of family life. SASAS - Family Matters: Family Cohesion, values and wellbeing promotes the family by drawing on unique data to offer insight into the diverse realities of contemporary family life in South Africa. It explores a series of family-related values and preferences, and charts the basis and nature of support for policy intervention in the family.

1 Introduction

Part 1: Family cohesion

2 Satisfaction with family relationships and overall quality of family life

3 Family functioning and economic status

4 Intergenerational consensus within families

5 Patterns of alcohol consumption in South Africa: Implications of harmful drinking for families

6 Intimate partner violence and family cohesion among ever married women and men in South Africa

Part 2: Family values and the promotion of family life

7 South African public opinion on family rights for lesbians and gay men: Entry points for activism and interventions

8 Embracing the child: The acceptability of adoption

9 Attitudes towards marriage in post-apartheid South Africa

10 Is a woman’s place still in the home? Gender role attitudes and women’s position in the South African labour market

11 Regarding Baba: Perceptions about fathers and fatherhood in South Africa

12 Filial responsibility and caring for the aging

Part 3: Family strengthening

13 Social determinants of self-rated health, social inequalities in health and family life

14 Views on work-family balance in South Africa

15 Child poverty: Social perceived necessities

16 Lone mothers’ accounts of the impact of poverty on their dignity: A South African perspective

Zitha Mokomane is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Pretoria. She was formerly a Chief Research Specialist in the Human and Social Development research programme at the Human Sciences Research Council.

Jarè Struwig is a Chief Research Manager in the Democracy and Governance and Service Delivery research programme at the HSRC, and joint Coordinator of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS).

Benjamin Roberts is a Senior Research Manager in the Democracy and Governance and Service Delivery research programme at the Human Sciences Research Council and joint Coordinator of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS).

Steven Gordon is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Democracy and Governance and Service Delivery research programme at the Human Sciences Research Council and a member of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) unit.