Expecting the unexpected Young people's expectations about marriage and family

摘要: Many social theorists argue that institutions such as organized religion, the nuclear family and traditions more generally, are in a rapid potentially terminal decline. At same time, there has been growing emphasis on processes of individualization, rise 'reflexive self', de-traditionalization an emergent view life 'planning project' where individuals determine their future pathways through autonomous decision-making. Some authors, Giddens Beck Beck-Gernsheim personal life, families relationships particularly affected by these changes, while others, Gross Simmons or Smart Shipman, advise caution. In this article we interrogate tension using first-wave data from longitudinal study involving over 7000 12-13-year-old high-school students government, independent Catholic schools Queensland, Australia. provide key baseline findings students' expectations marriage to highlight several issues must be addressed de-institutionalization reflexivity theorists, which illustrate need for evaluation claims.