From tradition to modernity. Changes of the value of family in Silesia

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of changes in the perception of the value of family in Silesia. Silesia is a region in Poland characterized by its cultural specificity. The analysis will be based on the discussion of Silesian family values in a historical perspective and on current research of the Author. R. Inglehart's concept of materialist and post-materialist values, was adopted as the theoretical context of the research. Completed in 2010, the study concerned the issue of family, among other values, the value of marriage itself and the function of marriage. An important variable to which attention was drawn was the respondents answers on Silesian identification, in particular, whether their views on family exhibited any specificity. The analysis showed that the young generation of the large city (including the young Silesians) declared to have post-materialist values, while residents of smaller towns, had traditional – materialist values. Silesian ethnic identification has positive effects on the declared traditional family values and yields lower modernist currents. This is a result of the impact by the cultural heritage in the region.