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Preface
MałgorzataCywińska
Contemporarypost-modernfamily
asthe“familyofrisk”
Thecontemporar
yfamilyisapost-modernone.Unfortunately,itisfrequently
adysfunctionalfamilywhichfulfilsitsbasicroles(bio-psychical,economic,so-
cio-determining,socio-psychological)1withgreatdifcultyorina“distorted”way.
Suchafamily,calledbyD.Elkindthe“permeable”family,2lacksclarityandstability
astothenumberand“quality”ofparents,theformaltypeoftheirrelationship,as
wellasthedivisionofe.g.economicorsocio-psychologicalfunctions.
Themodernfamilyisafamilyimplicatingdifferencesinthequalityofchild-
hood.Ononehand,modernfamiliesaresometimesaffectedwithunemploy-
ment,oftenconnectedwithsocialandeconomicpoverty,whichinturnfre-
quentlyinvolvesdeviantorpathologicalbehavior(e.g.alcoholabuse).Children
fromsuchfamiliestendtobe“lowquality”children(homelesschildren,poor
children,childrenofthestreets).Ontheotherhand,themodernfamilyischa-
racterizedbypermanenttimeshortage;overworkedfamilymembersareoriented
towardssuccess,career,self-realization.Insuccess-mindedfamilieschildrenare
alsobroughtuptoachievesuccess;theyareunderpressureto“win”andareput
onthepathofexcessiveambition.“Itissuchparentswhopacktheirchildren’s
timetableswithballetandfencingclasses,footballandSpanish,regardlessof
whetherthechildactuallylikesitallornot,becauseitlooksgoodintheCVwhich
istosecurethemaplaceinthebestschoolsandajobinthebestcorporations.”3
Childrenfromsuchfamiliesarecalledthe“highquality”childrenor“consumer
children”whofunctionaccordingtotheirparents’plan.Theyareoftenprovided
excessivelywithmaterialisticvaluesthatsometimesdistorttheirlifestyles.
1
M.Przetacznikowa,Z.Włodarski,Psychologiawychowawcza,Warszawa1979,p.439-442.
2
D.Elkind,Schoolandfamilyinthepost-modernworld,“PhiDeltaKappan”Vol.77.
3
G.Witkin,Stresdziecięcy,Poznań2000,p.13.
