Youth Perception of Extramarital and Homosexual Unions in North Macedonia

Abstract

Families and married couples in contemporary societies are constantly facing changes and adjustments to the impact of the processes of urbanization, globalization, individualization, and continuous technological development. Current statistics in North Macedonia show an increase in divorce rates, a decrease in the number of marriages, lower birth rates, as well as an increase in the number of extramarital and homosexual unions. Young people are increasingly disinterested in marriage and instead prefer extramarital or informal partnerships. In the past decades, these trends have been present, especially among the young population. This study aims to present the results of a comparative study carried out during 2014 and 2022. The general study compounds youth perception of marriage, divorce, family life, parenthood, and relationships in North Macedonia. More precisely, this paper will present the data related to the perception of young people in relation to extramarital and homosexual unions in North Macedonia, and through a comparative analysis of the two surveys we will aim to explore whether there is a change in the perceptions of different generations of students in the abovementioned research period.