ABSTRACT
Families are like the Homo neanderthalensis or the Red Indians: they have been around when modem civilisation arrived. But unlike many other cultures, they embraced the challenge of modernisation. They have down-sized from extended family networks to the core family of the twentieth century, they have out-sourced many activities that can be provided more efficiently by the market, and they have invested in new technologies. It appears that the institution of the family has adapted to the competitive environment of contemporaneous market economies. Yet, a new threat that arrived some 50 years ago is the rise of the Western-style welfare state. If state intervention that interferes with family decisions remains as it is, the role of the family in modem society may shrink even further, while a few traditional families will take refuge to some remote reservations.
