Introduction

Social research studies conducted in the twentieth century revealed sensitivity and vulnerability of the family in terms of economic conditions. Eventually, the concepts like material deprivation, the burden of dependants, feminisation of poverty, social exclusion and others related to the phenomena were introduced into discourse. Nowadays, particular importance of the topic of family in economically hard times is determined by at least two main factors:

The purpose of the edited collection Families in Economically Hard Times: Experiences and Coping Strategies in Europe is to provide readers with a novel and unique sociological knowledge on European families' experiences and behavioural strategies in the decade after economic crisis that ensued at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The main questions that the book seeks to answer are the following: how challenges emerged during recent economically hard contexts influenced the way of life of European families? Which known and unusual behaviour strategies are specific to families of various configurations in solving vital issues caused by the latest economic crises?