Theory of Civilization Waves, Position and Future Of Family in Slovakia
Prof. RNDr. Jozef MLÁDEK

Abstract
The contemporary demographic research dedicates great attention to formation and disintegration of family. Knowledge of such characteristic features of family, which affect reproduction process, is prioritised. The decisive part of reproduction during the historical development in Slovakia was bound to family environment. Family behaviour of inhabitants is the result of long-term development and reflects the effects of many economic, cultural, demographic and other factors. Contribution is attempt at interpretation of the family behaviour changes by the help of the civilization waves theory. The First civilization wave characterise agricultural production and multi-generation family (household). The dominant type, so-called nuclear family is typical for the Second civilization wave. It is created by two parents and there children. The Third civilization wave (information society) – social improvment base on the development and extension knowledge and information. For the significant factors are considered an increased level of education of the woman's part of population, higher women's employment rate, which is assuring their economic independence, high effectiveness of the applied methods of the birth-control together with liberalization of the abortion laws. These changes is the transition from the uniform family, to the broad-diversified forms of family and households. Informal unions (cohabitation) become massively widened within majority of the post-industrialized states. Family behaviour in Slovakia change and slowly obtain some fetures typical for the society in the Third wave.

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