Redefining elective co-parenting as PACT: a systematic assessment of published concepts and definitions

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Family Studies
• Psychology

Background:

• Contemporary family formation exhibits increasing diversity in structures, parental roles, and methods.
• Elective co-parenting is a recent term for a specific family-building approach, but definitions and terminology are inconsistent.
• Existing terms for non-traditional family structures often lack clarity and may carry unintended meanings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a fundamental conceptual framework for understanding diverse family formation methods.
• To address the limitations of current terminology in family studies research.
• To propose a precise and comprehensive concept label for a specific type of co-parenting arrangement.

Main Methods:

• A conceptual ethics framework was applied, involving a minimal scoping review of existing definitions.
• Attributes of the concept were identified and organized thematically to determine necessary and sufficient characteristics.
• A conceptual definition was developed, followed by the selection of the most fitting concept label.

Main Results:

• Current terminology for family formation is often imprecise and can hinder research usability.
• A new nomenclature is proposed to enhance clarity and comprehensiveness in family studies.
• The identified attributes and thematic organization led to the development of a refined conceptual definition.

Conclusions:

• The study proposes PACT (Pre-conception Agreement-based Co-parenting Together-apart) as a new, precise label for a family type.
• PACT describes situations where co-parents agree before conception to share parenting responsibilities.
• This new nomenclature aims to improve research accuracy and understanding of modern family structures, acknowledging the absence of romantic love between some co-parenting parties.