Measurement and explanation of family change in Australia in comparative perspective: a longitudinal approach. As other similar countries are now well-advanced in the use of longitudinal analysis of family change, the Australian research proposed here will provide a better comparative view of the efficacy of Australian policies and programs related to families. Policy based on static analysis is more limited because it conceives people's family lives as being static where the reality is dynamic. ....Measurement and explanation of family change in Australia in comparative perspective: a longitudinal approach. As other similar countries are now well-advanced in the use of longitudinal analysis of family change, the Australian research proposed here will provide a better comparative view of the efficacy of Australian policies and programs related to families. Policy based on static analysis is more limited because it conceives people's family lives as being static where the reality is dynamic. We have little understanding of the causes and consequences of this dynamism in Australia. Such an understanding is essential if policy is to enable people to make choices that lead to positive pathways to self reliance and supportive family structures.Read moreRead less