The Ups and Downs of Family Life During a Lockdown: Changes in Selected Family Functions

Abstract

The article seeks to present family life during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and identify the changes in the traditionally defined functions that the family performs towards its members. The following research questions have been put forward: How have the traditionally dominant family functions changed? Which components were particularly emphasized by the period of the first pandemic restrictions in this regard? Empirically, the research is based on the narratives of Lubuskie Voivodeship inhabitants, collected using the autoethnographic method during the first weeks of the lockdown due to the spread of the coronavirus. A total of 87 stories were collected from respondents in three social categories: pupils and students, professionally active people, and seniors. Based on the results the following conclusions can be drawn. The organizational chaos, the breaking of the current routine and patterns made it possible to highlight several features characterizing family functions, summarized by Tomasz Szlendak in 2015. The analysis of the respondents’ statements made it possible to indicate the directions of changes in the activity of families for the sake of their members with respect to areas of care, emotions, socialization, recreation and social life, and control. The common denominator of these changes is the experimental and tangible lack of freedom of choice and the possibility of direct contacts.