Indigenous Family Formation

Abstract

Following a detailed review of Indigenous data issues and sources, this chapter comprises a two-pronged approach to understanding the families of the contemporary Indigenous population of Australia. We begin by exploring Indigenous marriage patterns in twenty-first century Australia. We then turn to the implications of fertility trends for family structures. We draw on available data to explore the timing and quantum of Indigenous fertility and to identify changes in the recent past. While we highlight how underlying fertility patterns contribute to family form, our analysis of standard demographic data is limited by a number data of issues. In the second part of the analysis, we therefore turn to alternative data sources to explore in detail contemporary family living arrangements among Indigenous peoples and the key characteristics of Indigenous families. Our analysis of fertility and families highlights important regional differences. We close by exploring priorities for future research in this area and implications of family structures and dynamics for demography and social policy.