The times are a changin’

There was a time where many families lived in a sizeable house with mum at home looking after the kids while dad was off earning a few dollars. Not now! Dual income families are the norm rather than the exception.

The large blocks have all but disappeared as our cities and towns have grown exponentially. At a time when governments are trying to combat the housing and rental crisis, more families are crammed into smaller inner-city and suburban units.

Where once people were married in their early or mid-twenties, many don’t tie the knot until later in life. The once-common big Catholic family is now all but a thing of the past, with couples having fewer children. The cost-of-living crunch has not helped but the trend for smaller families began years earlier.

While church pews were once packed at Mass on a Sunday, the difference today is stark with many churches struggling to attract parishioners. Religion, especially amongst the young, is seen as irrelevant and those who identify as Christian has fallen by almost 20 per cent in 10 years, down to 44 per cent in the 2021 census.

In a Weekend Australian magazine article, futurist Bernard Salt speaks of Australians struggling with our social values and what we stand for. “In fact, what might be the outlook for a nation that doesn’t know or cannot agree upon what it stands for? We need to talk about the ways in which Australians can be united behind common goals, shared aspirations and, as old- fashioned as it may seem, a love of country.”

He says the backyards of the 1960s taught a generation how to “have fun with improvised equipment and a gathering of neighbourhood kids”.

An abundance of outdoor space created a culture of sportiness and of social connectivity which seems to be missing today, says Bernard Salt. “Backyard games built resilience and social skills, including the skill of getting along with others in the neighbourhood. Finding ways to fit people in is a skill that I think goes a long way to building stronger communities.”

Feature image: Kids playing with their families and the neighbours in the backyard was a thing in the 50s and 60s.

Second image: Unlike previous decades, more families are living in smaller units.

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