“Commonly made claims about changes in family and other intimate relations are not supported by actual research, according to a new working paper sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council.

In a review of existing written works on the subject, Val Gillies, a senior research fellow at South Bank University, argues that there are two dominant accounts of present-day personal relations, each reflecting a particular ideological stance.

Today’s theorists tend to emphasise either family breakdown and moral decline, or transformation and democratisation. The more negative account of family change appeals to traditionalist, conservative interpretations, while liberals favour the more positive version.

A third perspective, claiming that there has been little substantial change in the way people relate to one another, is rarely heard, despite research evidence suggesting that individuals continue to place great importance on personal ties and obligations.” EurekAlert!