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not realise that their fertility will be rapidly dissipating within the next few
years. Finally, with people having children later in life as well as living longer,
the 'family life-stage' is no longer the period in our lives which dominates
as it had in the past. In fact, in terms of time, the predominant stage in a
person's life is now after the children have left home.
Emotional attachments
According to research by the Future Foundation (2006), half the UK popula-
tion claims that they get all or most of their satisfaction from family life,
while another 41% state that they experience equal satisfaction from family
life and from other activities. Indeed, only a minority do not cite the family
as a prime source of happiness. Family life seems to make us more satisfied
as consumers become older, suggesting that children may be the main source
of happiness or that they create new bonds and closeness within the family.
Children
Partner
Grandchildren
Parents
Best friends
Brothers and sisters
Grandparents
Parents-in-law
Wider family (cousins, aunts etc.)
2009
Work colleagues
2002
Neighbours
Most recent ex-partner
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Figure 3.3
Closeness of emotional attachments: Mean scores given to emotional
attachment to selected types of people, 2002 and 2009. A sample of 1200 adults, all
with a relation in question, responded to the following item: 'We usually have close
emotional ties to some people, and more distant ties, or none at all, to others. From this
list of types of people, can you tell me how close you feel your emotional attachment is to
them? Please use a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 is no particular emotional attachment at all,
and 7 is a very close emotional attachment.'
Source
: Future Foundation
