CfP - We are family - society, policies and evolving family life
Call for Papers - Special Issue: We are family - society, policies and evolving family life [PDF]
Editors:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Hadjar, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Dr. Maurizia Masia, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Submission of Abstracts: 15 October 2026
Submission of Full Papers: 31 August 2027
Publication of the Issue: Spring 2028
Family structures have undergone profound changes over the last thirty years. Traditional family models – mainly the nuclear family consisting of a father, mother and their biological children – are increasingly losing their dominant position, even though they continue to represent important social ideals in politics and society, especially in Switzerland. At the same time, there is a noticeable pluralisation of family forms, which challenges traditional family structures and gives rise to non-conventional family forms such as consensual partnerships, single parents and patchwork families. The continuing high rates of marital breakdown also mean that people are increasingly entering into new partnerships after the end of a relationship. As children of earlier relationships may also become part of new relationships, this leads to a variety of family arrangements (Vaskovics 2020). Drawing on social science research, these trends can be attributed to demographic and social change processes (e.g. Peuckert 2013), which also mark a transformation of established concepts of family.
Normative ideas of the family as a biologically and legally clearly defined unit are increasingly giving way to more open, fluid and individualised models of family life (cf. Peukert et al. 2018). In this respect, family should be understood not only as a fixed structure, but as a dynamic process that must be actively created, negotiated and adapted to new circumstances in everyday life and throughout the course of life (e.g. Morgan 2011). This situation marks a change in traditional role models and lifestyles (Welzel & Inglehart 2007), which can facilitate the political implementation of family policy measures (Lewis 2007).
Current examples can be observed in Switzerland, such as the introduction of ‘marriage for all’ and the legal possibility of joint adoption for same-sex couples. Similar developments can also be seen in other countries. Furthermore, according to Pfau-Effinger (2005), it can be assumed that political reforms in turn have an impact on norms and lifestyles by promoting, legitimising or even enabling certain family forms.
For this special issue, we particularly welcome contributions that deal with social change and the diversity of family life forms, as well as biographical transitions in the family life course, including in the context of non-conventional family forms. We are also interested in analyses of political and legal frameworks (e.g. sexual criminal law, extended adoption rights) and social factors that shed light on the opportunities and challenges for family members in different family forms. Contributions that examine digital developments in everyday family life are also welcome. We expressly welcome innovative methodological approaches – such as longitudinal qualitative analyses, mixed methods, qualitative biographical research or policy-analytical approaches – in order to comprehensively illuminate the transformation of family structures and its socio-political implications.
We welcome various contributions in German or English for our special thematic issue:
- Theoretical and methodological articles from research on the topic
- Empirical studies from a temporal and/or international perspective
- Empirical studies on social policies relating to the topic
Timeline and Guidelines
15 October 2026: Please submit an abstract of max 500 words including Background, Theory, Methods, (Preliminary) Results and Conclusion (please specify if writing a conceptual or methodological paper), accompanied by your affiliation and contact information, by 15 October 2026. We will notify you by the end of October 2026 if your abstract has been accepted.
31 August 2027: The deadline for submission of the selected full papers is 31 August 2027. To submit your paper, please go to socialpolicy.ch and follow the instructions in English (“Publish”) carefully.
All contributions will be subject to the double blind peer review procedures of socialpolicy.ch.
Selected contributions are invited to present their work in the spring term 2027 (February – May 2027) at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland).
Spring 2028: Publication on socialpolicy.ch
socialpolicy.ch includes contributions from the various fields of social policy and the welfare state. It is a peer-reviewed and DOAJ-indexed journal.
Contact and abstract submission
Andreas Hadjar, University of Fribourg, Switzerland, Mail: andreas.hadjar@unifr.ch
Maurizia Masia, University of Fribourg, Switzerland, Mail: maurizia.masia@unifr.ch
