Abstract
The concept of the family is constantly changing; new theories and ideas are frequently being discovered and shared. The way the family is seen in Ireland has transformed over the last few decades. Due to this the aim of this research study is to understand how a small sample of Irish women views the contemporary family in today’s society. Using a qualitative approach in the form of interviews, through thematic analysis it was found that what makes a family is love and support, that there have been many changes to the Irish family unit, such as divorce being legalised, the decline of the Catholic Church’s influence, and the increasing power the media has, have changed the way women perceive the family, another thing that was found was that the bonds that build a family are not restricted to blood ties and legal contracts anymore. The final insight that was discovered was that the future of the family unit is unknown.
