Opiekuńczość i rodzinność młodych ludzi w trakcie zmian?
Caregiving and familiality of young people in the midst of change?

Selected aspects

Summary/Abstract: In today’s world, spaces are being created where children are not allowed. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, changes have been observed, especially in young people’s caregiving and familism. They are increasingly declaring and demonstrating, for example, people’s aversion, hatred of children and childcare, of parenting and starting families, lack of love towards biological children, positive attitude towards caregivers of non-biological children. The direction of these changes and a preliminary analysis of their causes requires diagnosis and taking pedagogical, social interventions. Objective. The purpose of the article is to identify the extent, characteristics, and causes of phenomena such as: resentment, hatred of children, aversion to child care, parenting, and family, lack of love towards one’s biological children, and attitudes towards those caring for non-biological children observed increasingly in young people (potential or current legal guardians), to understand the essence of, the state, and the relationship between caregiving, parenting, and life in the modern post-pandemic world - pointing out selected risks and hopes, and arousing reflection on the indicated topics in future professionals, care educators, special educators, and teachers, obtained through the expression of opinions and dialogue with people with different views. Materials and methods. The article uses an analysis of the literature on the subject, journalistic and social media sources, as well as a diagnostic survey method. Results. Most of the respondents (75%) know a young person who does not like children and about 12% of them know one who hates them. They claim that young people do not want to have children because there are times when it would be irresponsible, preferring to use the young body to develop themselves, that it is a restriction on their freedom and incurs too much cost. A considerable number of respondents disagreed with the thesis that young people today do not love their biological children. Among the reasons cited were difficult childbirth and lack of strength to care for them (lack of help with care), aspirations not previously fulfilled, and becoming pregnant “by accident.” Some interviewees disagree with the thesis that young people nowadays do not want to take care of their children, and stressed the existing diversity in this group. They pointed to the lack of readiness and maturity to be a parent, the desire for young people to do everything quickly while caregiving requires patience, being comfortable, prioritizing a career over starting a family, among others, as reasons for not wanting to do so. Respondents positively perceive and justify caring for and loving children taken into their care who are not their biological children. From the reasons given, it can be concluded that not everyone is familiar with the specifics and diversity of this care. Conclusion. The preliminary results gathered are disturbing. The research is worth continuing and detailing. Pedagogical actions with young people and changes in social and health policies are indicated. The identified phenomena should be discussed with candidates for pedagogy.

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