We hereby present the results of a research project regarding the training needs and demands perceived by young people and teenagers as the necessary elements in the reconciliation of work and family responsibilities. Young people’s and teenagers’ perceptions, ideas and beliefs about the joint responsibilities of work and family will be analysed as the key to reconciling work and family life. This research will pay special attention to the following aspects, among others: • Analysis of the processes of distribution and consensus in work and family life. • Research into the need to extend specific strategies such as motivation, communication or resolution of conflicts in daily life • Analysis of the importance of development of positive emotions as a basis and a support for relationships. • Rating of men’s responsibility and commitment. • Evaluation of the need for a new conception of effective time-management The aim is to analyse teenagers’ and young people’s perception about life expectations and their perception of the need to: • Develop a successful view to connect joint responsibility and reconciliation with a better personal, family and social quality of life • Have strategies and abilities to motivate, communicate, face and solve conflicts to project a work life that can be reconciled with coexisting with others, be it within adult relationships or in a future family life. • Extend development of positive emotions, decreasing negative emotions, enhancing resilience and emotional well-being as a base for personal, family and work development to promote equality among women and men. • Promote men’s responsibility and commitment in family responsibilities, adopting an active role in the domestic and family sphere to achieve equality among women and men.

The research work will be developed in two phases: 1. Analysis of the “state of the art”. Research of distribution, contribution and consensus processes in work and family life that happens in families nowadays in our society. Analysis of teenagers’ and young people’s views. 2. Analysis of strategies to overcome difficulties detected and problems in reconciliation and joint responsibilities. Sample N = 600. Young people and teenagers from 16 to 20 years of age from different social, cultural and economic status and both sexes. Procedure for information collection • Workshops and discussion groups • Specific questionnaires

Taking into account previously done research work (Maganto, Etxeberria, 2007), we can expect the following benefits: • Influence on participants: Awareness of the importance of collaboration and responsibility in work and family life. • Influence on coexistence relationships: be it among young people, couples or in a family context: Need to develop a family management style, family atmosphere and healthy family cohesion and adaptation. • Cognitive influence: Specific learning about clarification and development of concepts, attitudes and values about equality, reconciliation and identity. • Personal empowerment: creating a higher expectation for reconciling work and family life, improving time management and capacity for motivation, development and control of positive emotions. • Development and training of education staff, social agents, technical staff, politicians. Training courses for enhancing promotion of joint responsibility and reconciliation from the perspective of gender.