Redefining Family: The Conceptualization and Closeness of Kin Networks

• In Event: 026 - Regular Session. Family and Kinship

Abstract

The kin network is an important part of an individual’s social environment, serving as a key source of emotional and material security in many communities. While the kin network has traditionally been defined as strictly composed of one’s family members, reflected in researchers’ operationalization and measurement of kin networks, qualitative methods have suggested that this definition might fail to reflect the flexibility and fluidity of the concept of kin that actually exists within American communities and families. Qualitative methods have been critical in identifying this concept of “fictive” kin; however, existing research does not allow for nationally estimates or comparisons between communities. Using the 2004 networks roster data from the nationally-representative General Social Survey, this analysis applies egocentric social network methodology and concepts in the realm of family demography to examine how broader definitions of the kin network might influence an individual’s experience as a member of the network, focusing on network density or closeness as the prime measure of interest. Preliminary results indicate that the traditional definition of the kin network as strictly composed of one’s family members persists broadly as a uniquely close type of social network. However, important differences between social, economic, and demographic groups suggest that the salience of a strict definition of kin varies across the United States.  

Author

• Youngmin Yi, Cornell University