Yerevan PERSPECTIVE Independence Generation: Perceptions of Family and Marriage MARIA TITIZIAN December 2017 n Armenian family is one of the most important social constructs and institutions in Armenian society. It has been and continues to be patriarchal in structure, multi-ge­nerational and at the center of social life. n contemporary Armenian society, the family is undergoing certain transformations - young people waiting longer to get married, having fewer children and the custom of living together in extended families is beginning to wane as young people become economically independent. n with the continued attachment of the youth to their families, parents conti­nue to exert social control that includes decision-making, living within or outside the family and family planning. n the overriding majority of Armenian youth, their main aim in life is to please their parents, further underscoring the importance of family. There are more social cont­rols by parents, brothers, and older relatives(including the“village“) on girls and young women than their male counterparts.