Family models in BRICS countries: traditions, challenges, psychology of generations

When speaking of BRICS, the focus is often on the economy, multilateral cooperation, and international influence. Yet behind the dry figures of GDP and geopolitics stand millions of families, each woven into the cultural fabric of its country. Despite outward differences, the family remains the basic social institution in every member state of the group, undergoing a complex transformation between tradition and the challenges of the times.

Respect for elders’ opinions versus independence in decision-making in India

For instance, India is a country where traditions are often not questioned but accepted as axioms. Yet even there, young people increasingly wish to live apart from their parents, to choose partners without family pressure. Here, the conflict of “fathers and children” may become not only a personal drama but also a public matter.

The “4-2-1” model in China

China is experiencing a unique shift: from the “One Family – One Child” policy to the crisis of an ageing population. The “4-2-1” model (four grandparents, two parents, one child) has shaped a generation of “little emperors”, raised in an atmosphere of hyper-care and expectations. Now these “emperors” themselves are marrying, or avoiding marriage altogether, burning out in the corporate race.

The trend towards matriarchy in South Africa

South Africa is a special case. Family structure here is often built around matriarchy. In the pre-colonial period, among many peoples, women were rulers or priestesses. On one hand, there is the legacy of tribal cultures; on the other, the influence of behavioural models of Western society. As a result, young people live between several identities, while grandmothers become the central figures holding families together.

What does a sustainable family model look like in the modern world?

In each country, generational psychology differs, yet what remains common is the dissatisfaction of elders with the young and of the young with the elders. In this irresolvable conflict between past and future is born what may be called the modern family. The search for the “right” model is meaningless. Perhaps family sustainability today is not conservatism but flexibility. Where once it was “this is how it must be”, now there is space for “this is how I want it to be”. This is the new path: not within rigid frameworks or patterns, but in the search for balance between the voices of different generations.

Material provided by BRICS Bloggers Team participant and resident of the Centre for New Media, Oksana Vasileva.

The Autonomous Non-Commercial Organisation "Resource Centre for New Media" collaborates with over 500 bloggers. They are engaged in promoting working professions, domestic and international tourism, and promoting the brand of regions. Influencers receive opportunities to develop their media presence, competencies and useful communications, can create joint projects within the community and promote quality content on social networks.