YALS 2007 literary competition
C1
Typical family situation in Serbia compared with 25 years ago
by Janko Ignjatović from Oxford School
Introduction
The aim of this report is to describe the typical family situation in Serbia today, and to outline the main changes that have occurred in relation to the family over the last 25 years. In order to give precise facts for these changes in one part of family life in Serbia, I interviewed people in my neighbourhood, who had from 20 to 30 years in period of eight decade of twentieth century, about the way they spent their holidays in 1980s. Also, I wanted to know whether they spend their holidays now as they did back in 1980s. Additionally, I asked parents who have children, born in 70s and 80s, to fill in a questionnaire about traveling abroad. This report will include the reasons for these differences and summarise how they have affected the role of family unit in society.
Typical family
25 years ago, typical family consisted of five members. As a result, each child was obligated to go to elementary and high school, but ,due to having so much children some parents could not enable every child to go to univercity. In addition, this period from 1980 to 1990s was the time of international toleration and standard raising in Serbia, so many people remeber it as a time when they could acomplish everything and travel a lot.
Now, Serbia is in trasitional period.That is why the average number of family members is three. Not having enough finances to raise as many children as 25 years ago, young parents have decided to have only one child and school it completely.
Typical holiday
Since my country was one of the leading countries on Balcan peninsula in 1980s, employed Serbian people had enough money to go where they wanted. Moreover, the old passport, they had in this period was appreciated in every country so, they could travel without visas. That is the reason why they did not plan and pay their holidays abroad many months in advance, as they do now. It was just a matter of day when they will pack their suitcases, and set off with their children. Not only did they go to Greece, Italy, France and Bulgaria on seaside, but also the capitals of many middle-european countries were common tourist destinations. Even though people from my country could travel everywhere, many unemployed Serbians went to seaside in Montenegro and Croatia, which were a part of former Yugoslav republic as well as Serbia, or they visited Vinjacka, Sijarinjska, Ribarska and Soko spa.
Not being able to leave Serbia without visa and not being able to earn as much as once, people in working condition in my country now, have to pay their holidays in the country and abroad many months in advance . Abroad-travellers have to plan everything and also travel to their destination with travel agency, so that they could leave Serbia. While unemployed people 25 years ago went to seaside or spa, unemployed people now spend their holidays at home.
Conclusion
It appears that people lived better, earned and spent more 25 years ago. More than 80% have been traveling abroad, and less than 20% spent their holidays on seaside in Croatia and Montenegro, which were a part of former Yugoslav republic, or they visited many spas around the country. On the one hand, parents had enough money to raise even five children, on the another, they all could not study at the univercities.
The society in my country changed over the period from 1980 to 1995 . Throughout this period Serbia became an independent, trasitional country. For the majority of people these changes have been fatal. They became unemployed and could not raise as many children as once.
However, small number of people (30%) are still traveling abroad. But, due to their financial status they are obligated to pay their holidays in advance and get a travel visa, so that they could leave Serbia.