The Bulgarian family in the early 21st century
The Bulgarian family in the early 21st century

Summary/Abstract: Objectives. The research examines some major trends in the development of the Bulgarian family in the early 21st century. One of these trends is characteristic for all the industrial societies – the increase of the number of people who do not want to start a family. On the other hand, there is a switch from the typical model of a family with two children to the family model with one child or without children. These general trends in Bulgaria are reinforced by a number of factors specific for the period of transition. The study is focused on the development of alternative forms of family life – their distribution, the development of the legal framework for their regulation and the public opinion towards them. From the beginning of the Bulgarian transition period, the influence of the characteristics of the family on the education system, the demographic crisis and the moral values of society has qualitatively changed. The analysis shows that the political elites are mainly improvising in shaping their social policy regarding family, and sexual education. Material and methods. The methods of testing are as follows: analysis of data from sociological and other empirical researches; bibliographic analysis; deep monitoring of real social processes during the transition. Results. Bulgarian family undergoes a noticeable degradation. The dissolution of traditional family is consistent with the increased number of unhappy individuals who cannot find fulfillment in starting a family and raising children. Conclusions. On one hand, in Bulgarian social policy, there are measures that are up to date. On the other hand, there are many legislative gaps and inconsistencies. Moreover, Bulgarian citizens seem to realize lately that the rush to embrace alternative forms of family life and the postponement of the right decisions regarding family planning are harmful to them and rethink their behavior.

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