Family and the new generations

Strong are the changes in the institution of the family today.

“Normal” biographies are replaced by different ways of growing older and creating a family, each one with its specific potential and risks. Marital instability enlarges the group of lonely mothers, who are at major risk of poverty; the increasing number of migrant families represents a new challenge for social and health services, as well as schools; the increasing delay young people exit their family of origin with contributes to the lowering of fertility; elder women face the double burden of taking care of their parents and their grown-up children; the labour market is not sufficiently prepared to help balancing family and work life.

Since many years Synergia studies the biographies of families and their strategies to answer to their own social needs, as we think that the support to families has to be based on the knowledge of cultural and demographic specificities of single local contexts on one side, and on the analysis and evaluation of policies and services targeted to them, on the other.

Through social surveys, analyses of services, feasibility and impact studies, we bring out the relationship between single individuals, families and welfare systems, thinking that a family-targeted policy, aimed at making the best out of their resources, has to integrate social services with labour, fiscal, education and health policies.

A special attention has to be dedicated to the new generations, as well: we develop quantitative and qualitative surveys and consultancy to schools, studying phenomena such as school drop outs and substances abuse, the specificity of second generation migrants, integrating our studies with prevention programs or Thematic Observatories. We try to read and describe social change, to listen to the voice of the youth and to give to education agencies tools that are able to help youngsters to develop their talents and abilities and to spread their voice to the society at large.