It's common to talk about the declining birth rate and the impact this might have on children growing up with fewer, or perhaps no, siblings. Less considered is the flow-on effect this has on the wider family structure: such as the decline in the number of cousins.
In generations past it was much more common to not only have cousins but to grow up with them, forming bonds that could be just as significant as those between siblings.
So how does this change re-shape our society and traditional support networks, moving forward?
Professor Dan Woodman, a sociologist from Melbourne University - who himself has fourteen cousins - joins Emile Donovan.
Professor of Sociology, Dan Woodman Photo: SUPPLIED/University of Melbourne
