ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the realities of family life in the 21st century and the implications for family cohesion and wellbeing. The rediscovery of playfulness in the context of family life is discussed in terms of the possibilities it offers for a happier and healthier lived experience of ‘family’, regardless of socio-economic circumstance or individual characteristics. The rise in female employment has been matched by the increased educational attainment of women with a consequent postponement of parenthood, reduced family size, and a preponderance of smaller households. The relative freedoms enjoyed by the modern family – freedom from rigidly defined roles, from domestic drudgery and from economic dependence – have vastly increased the choices available to parents and children, with paradoxical consequences for family life. The public health agenda has increasingly been shaped by recognition of the social factors influencing health and illness and the need for public, private, and community sectors to work together towards shared goals.
