Traditional versus modern: Changes and life of present families.

The paper introduces the first specific analysis of the empirical survey ''Family and Community in Central Europe''. The survey was carried out in the period 1995 - 1996 in twelve municipalities of the SR. The sample was based on authors' typology of the patterns of family behaviour and selected municipalities represented the ''traditional'' and ''modern'' type of family behaviour. Authors focus attention to the findings concerning mainly the social-economic situation of families and the way of dealing with problems of livelihood, The presented analysis is based on two comparative levels. The first one compares municipalities with traditional and modern family behaviour - i.e. takes in regard the socio-cultural differences. The second one compares family situation prior to 1989 and the one after 1989 - i.e. takes in regard the differences caused by political and economic changes. The following three questions are analysed more profoundly: (1) Impact of social changes upon everyday life of families. In comparison with 1990, the evaluation does not appear to be favourable. More than one half of families considers their situation to be aggravated, in the municipalities of traditional type it is 61 %, in municipalities of modern type it is 45 %. The aggravation is experienced more frequently by elderly maried couples and families with more children. (2) Ways of coping with new problems of livelihood. The need of assistance is relatively high, in traditional municipalities the need is a little higher and families in need mainly turn to their relatives. In modern municipalities they look for help with a broader range of persons and institutions. (3) Sources of improving living standard within families. Self-supplying (with food and services) belongs to constant elements of family economy in Slovakia. After 1990 die rate of self-supplying has increased in all sectors. The highest increase is with services in traditional municipalities and is directly connected with the aggravation of living situation. It is possible to state that the economic changes after 1990 have brought traditional and modern municipalities closer in this sphere of life. In general, the analyzed elements of family life could be called as the new family strategies for the nineties in Slovakia.