SOME CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE RURAL FAMILY IN THE NEW RURAL COMMUNITIES: A CASE STUDY OF A VILLAGE IN ASSIUT- EGYPT

The research aimed to examine the personal and social characteristics of respondents in the study area, identify the level of structural and functional changes that occurred in rural families from their perspective, and examine the relationships between the respondents’ independent variables and the changes observed in the structure and functions of rural families. The study was conducted in Arab Al-Awamer Village, Assiut Governorate, a newly reclaimed village. A probability proportionate random sampling technique was employed to select 300 household heads as respondents. Data were processed quantitatively and then analyzed in accordance with the study's objectives. Furthermore, appropriate statistical techniques were used to analyze and interpret the tabulated data, such as Spearman's rank correlation, numerical enumeration, and percentages. The results revealed that 62% of the respondents were aged 43 to 62 years, 87.7% were male, and 72% were married. Over half (57%) possessed 9 to 16 years of education, and 53.3% resided in nuclear families, while 58% of households comprised four to seven members. Concerning perceived family transformation, approximately 79% of respondents reported a moderate degree of structural change, while 77.6% indicated a significant level of functional change. These findings suggest that families in newly reclaimed rural communities are undergoing noticeable social and functional transformations, influenced by demographic, educational, and socioeconomic dynamics, which reflect broader processes of rural modernization and adaptation within Egypt’s evolving rural context.