Mapping the plurality of personal configurations

TitreMapping the plurality of personal configurations
Type de publicationBook Chapter
Year of Publication2018
AuteursAeby, G, Widmer, E, Cesnuityté, V, Gouveia, R
ÉditeurWall, K, Widmer, E, Gauthier, J-A, Cesnuityté, V, Gouveia, R
Book TitleFamilies and personal networks: an international perspective
Series TitlePalgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life
Chapter5
Pagination131–166
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Place PublishedLondon, United Kingdom
Mots-clésComparative analysis, family, friendship, Kinship, Lithuania, Non-kin, Personal configurations, Personal relationships, Portugal, Switzerland
Résumé

The aim of this chapter is to map the variety of personal configurations by focusing on personal ties regarded as important. The configurational perspective emphasizes the inclusion of different kinds of close ties that go beyond kin, co-residence, and genealogical proximity in personal relationships. In order to identify the diversity of arrangements, we present a typology of personal configurations and compare their importance across three different countries, controlling for individuals’ position in social and family structures. Results show that while the family of procreation and parents are important overall, there are different patterns of sociability across countries: more inclusive of extended kin in Portugal, more inclusive of non-kin (friends) in Switzerland, and more focused on the nuclear family in Lithuania.

URLhttps://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781349952625