Expectations and reality of support sharing within personal networks in economically hard time: the case of Lithuania

Abstract

An issue of interrelation between support sharing and available to individual personal network ready to be involved in that, are of particular importance in economically hard times. It especially concerns youth and members of their families who just started creation of their personal and family networks. In the research presented in this chapter, we mainly ask: which family practices build personal networks that are ready to share with resources and provide help to each other? In order to give comprehensive image of interplay among support sharing, personal networks and family practices, we analyse three-fold research objects: (1) sharing of help and support in the context of problematic situations, (2) personal and family networks in the contexts of sharing of help and support, (3) family practices that create personal networks ready to share with help and support in problematic situations. The aim of the research is to explore interrelations among support sharing, personal networks and family practices in the period of latest economic crisis and in a short period after it in Lithuania. In order to achieve the research aim, the following research hypotheses formulated: H1: A type of help and support directly related to the problematic situation to which certain help and support provided. That is, in financially difficult situation financial support is provided, in emotional stress emotional / psychological support provided, and so on. H2: Once institution of the family goes through pluralization, more persons from the extended family and beyond the family are involved actively into the process of help and support provision, despite of problematic situation. H3: Different family practices create personal networks ready to provide certain type of help and support only. The test of the hypotheses is based on empirical data of the national representative quantitative survey carried out in Lithuania between November, 2011 – January, 2012, i.e. few years after the global economic crisis. The sample cover 2000 respondents who represent habitants of Lithuania, as well, four selected for survey birth cohorts: 1950-1955, 1960-1965, 1970-1975, and 1980-1985.