FAMILY SITUATION IN SERBIA

-by Katarina Vićentijević








INTRODUCTION
This report aims to describe relationships betwen members of one typical family in Serbia as compared with families in developed countries. Serbia is not a member of Europian Union, wich means that living standards here are lower than in the countries of the "Third World" and that a large number of population do not have an easy life.

A TYPICAL FAMILY
A typical family in Serbia has three or four members and, as the number of unemployed is growing every day, there are many families that live on only one salary, or live helped by the social service. There are also examles of families where parents have difficulties with providing their children normal life and education, despite the fact that they are employed and have finished university.

RECENT CHANGES
On the other hand, if you look at a typical family that lived 25 years ago, you will see some differences in behaviour of children to their parents. For example, my parents had more complicated life than I do, they respected their parents more, and appreciated more the sacrifices my grandparents made for them. I do not say that I do not respect my parents, but it is truth that children today can be very ungrateful. However, back at that time there were social differences betwen people and that was something that affected poor families.

CONCLUSION
All things considered, I think that a typical Serbian family is far from being stable, as long as parents support their children after finishing university. Compared with the western families, where teenagers work in order to help their parents financially, situation in Serbia is pretty strange. My attitude is that we sholud teach our children to face life seriosly.