Premises for Studying Finnish and Spanish Families

Abstract

This second part of the book presents the premises of the comparative case study of Finnish and Spanish families by explaining the basis for choosing the countries and by outlining the starting points. The discussion starts with a review of welfare state typologies and the family types, and ideologies that different types of welfare states maintain and on which they are premised. Furthermore, the demographic trends and the focal research question that arise from the variation of the welfare states and demographic trends are presented. Third, Chapter 3 brings forward the theoretical and methodological roots of the study deriving from Emile Durkheim’s views on the family and methods for studying the family. The chapter continues with a review of comparative research methods and describes the type of comparison and data used in the study. Finally, Chapter 4 describes the modernization processes of Finland and Spain, providing a socio-historical background for the study of Finnish and Spanish families.