Changing Meanings of Family in Personal Relationships: A Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Family relationships in late modernity are considered to be embedded in wider processes of closeness and commitment, which go beyond blood and alliance principles. The aim of this chapter is to identify who is perceived as family in personal relationships and to examine the overlap between personal configurations and family networks. Despite some blurring of ties, findings show that there continue to be fairly clear boundaries between kin and non-kin ties in the predominant meanings of family. The salience of close kin ties emerges in all three countries, as well as the focus on long-lasting friendship; but there are country-specific aspects with regard to the categories and number of ties imbued with family meaning, the degree of overlap, and the types of family network.