Many social policies have been developed around the ‘traditional family’. This is a married couple with dependent children and only the male partner working full time. Yet the prevalence of this family type has substantially declined.

In this monograph, Paul Callister examines the relationships between changes in the labour market and changes in household structure. He charts a picture – both in New Zealand and Internationally – in which the traditional family structure is becoming less common. While many people have welcomed the greater diversity in work and living arrangements, another group is finding it difficult adapting to the new environment.

The changes in employment prospects have been particularly dramatic for low-skill men, in terms of both job loss and decline in real income. There is now a new group of perhaps up to 20% of young men who are likely to face long-term disadvantage in the labour market. Yet young and relatively unskilled men see being in paid work as a critical factor in their well-being and many cannot see how they ould be a good father without being a good economic provider.

Much of the data presented in this monograph suggests that assisting individuals achieve the highest possible level in education will assist them in the labour market, and also give them more options in choosing an optimal family or household form. Education may also help some people shift their attitudes ad behaviour so they can take on non-traditional roles in both work and family life.