Tranformations in Latin American Families in the Last Decades: A Socio-Demographic Perspective

Brígida García, El Colegio de México
Olga Rojas, El Colegio de México

The objective of this paper is to review the most significant socio-demographic changes in Latin American families during the second half of the 20th century. Three main issues are addressed: transformations in union formation and dissolution patterns, in connection with the proximity of a second demographic transition; convergence toward small, nuclear families, and the nature and growth of women-headed households. we not only summarize existing knowledge, but also bring together updated information and explore the connection between social inequality and changing family patterns. Some of the main conclusions are: a) there is insufficient evidence to sustain that a second transition is taking place; b) nuclearization is underway, but the importance of extended units –and the scant presence of single-person households- continue to be a distinctive trait of the Latin American family system, especially among the poor, c) women-headed households are clearly on the rise, possibly in diverse social sectors of our societies.