In this paper, we try to uncover the factors that would allow us to understand the transformation of the family structure and would answer the question: In what way does the traditional family differ from contemporary families in developed societies? The paper is based on the thesis that the family is not an immutable structure, but that it changes with regard to the wider demands of society. The body focuses on the political, socioeconomic and ideological changes that appear with the beginning of the industrial revolution up to the 21st century. In order to explain these changes, demographic factors such as fertility and marriage and divorce rates will be used, which will be approached through the paradigms of several different sociological theories. Understanding the changes in the family structure and in the concept of parenthood could contribute to the development and adjustment of the population policy, in the currently unfinished transit period full of questioning and uncertainty.