Religions, Vol. 16, Pages 1151: The Family in the Mirror: Generational Values and Attitudes of the Portuguese Regarding the Family

Religions doi: 10.3390/rel16091151

Authors:
Eduardo Duque
José F. Durán Vázquez

This article examines the contemporary Portuguese family through the lens of changes in the transmission of family values, with a particular focus on the religious sphere. Using a quantitative methodology based on a questionnaire survey administered to a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 3634 respondents in Portugal, this study explores the transformations in family values and the role of religion. The findings show that current values are increasingly oriented toward individualism, emotionality, expressiveness, and empowerment, with religion no longer underpinning these values. The religious decline within the family sphere has paralleled the erosion of traditional, positional, and hierarchical values—even among individuals with religious beliefs in whom the sense of belonging is weakening—favoring individualistic and expressive values related to work, education, and leisure. The analysis reveals significant generational differences in the perception of family, indicating an ongoing process of social transformation that reflects broader structural changes in Portuguese society. Younger generations exhibit a stronger adherence to individualistic values and a weaker attachment to traditional hierarchical patterns. The data suggest a profound reconfiguration of the value foundations of the family, with important implications for family policies and for understanding contemporary family dynamics in the Portuguese context.

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Eduardo Duque www.mdpi.com