Personal networks in various family formation stages: evidences on the role of family practices

Abstract

Researches on interrelation between family and personal networks, often focus on functions which the personal networks play in the lives of the family and its members. Meanwhile, issues on networks’ formation around the family still lack attention. The present research aims to contribute to knowledge on how life-course of the family formation relate with the changes in personal networks of the family. The main research question is the following: how different stages of family formation intertwined with the family practices contributing to creation of personal networks of the family and its members? Theoretically, the research is based on family practices’ approach proposed by Morgan (1996, 2001) stating that various family practices make impact on creation of distinct personal networks dominated by particular (bonding or bridging) social capitals. Family practices, including national traditional celebrations (Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year party, Easter, All Souls’ Day), families’ traditions (Mother’s Day, Gathering of relatives, Anniversary of the marriage), personal celebrations (Birthday) and various daily practices (joint dinner daily, Sunday lunch together), explored in this research. The empirical data collected during the quantitative survey run under the research project “Trajectories of family models and social networks: intergenerational perspective explored. The fieldwork conducted at the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012. In total, 2000 respondents represent habitants of Lithuania born between 1950 and 1985. The results show that family practices are associated with distinct family configurations that embrace not only individuals from the nuclear and extended families but also persons from beyond the family. It was revealed that the families of procreation and orientation create and maintain their personal networks by celebrating national traditional celebrations, and family’s traditions and personal celebrations. Even more, family of orientation is much open and active: invite persons not only from the extended family, but also non-kin (even for such intimate family feast like Christmas Eve); members of the family of orientation are involved into much more activities. Such practices help to create wider and not so centralized around ego social network. Meanwhile, young people, who just start to create their own families behave in different way. Being in premarital cohabitation, they participate in celebrations personal celebrations but not national traditional celebrations or families’ traditions. Only after certain time spent in cohabitation, when they already have at least one child, both partners are invited into the national traditional celebrations or families’ traditions together with members of the families of procreation and orientation. At the stage of divorce or widowing, participation in the family practices again change: personal networks are created by participation of in the joint vacations at least once per year, having joint Sunday lunch or other meals, etc. In summary, the research results revealed some of the mechanisms linking family practices in different life-course stages with generation of the different structures of personal networks of the family and its members.