Isolation, Function, and beyond: American Kinship in the 1960's

Types of Conjugal Networks, Conjugal Conflict and Conjugal Quality

“…In this sense, couples that do not have relatives in their networks but only friends miss a fundamental source of support, a fact that might not be easily counterbalanced by the less intrusive style of relationships that one develops with friends. Interchangeability of friends and relatives in conjugal networks (Adams, 1970) is in this sense not straightforward, and the benefits associated with women friendships for couple functioning (Oliker, 1989) are only secondary compared with those of having supportive relatives.…”

“…Each type presents a distinct configuration of features. Sparse networks refer to couples relatively disconnected from relatives and friends, a case that was referred to as detachment (Coenen-Huther et al, 1994) or isolation (Adams, 1970;Bonvalet et al, 1999). The data also show that about one fifth of couples are more friendship-than family-oriented.…”

“…When networks are too involved, they are seen as interfering in the couple's functioning, and as such, they become counter-productive in terms of conjugal quality. It is important to emphasize that kinship networks are not only characterized by support and caring but also by problems and conflicts among relatives (Adams, 1970;Coenen-Huther et al, 1994). Some relationships, such as in-law relationships, are known to often be problematic (Fischer, 1983;Widmer, 1999).…”

“…Alternatively, network types might be more influential for women than for men as women are more involved in kinship connections: they report larger networks of relatives and greater contact and exchange with them (Coenen Huther et al, 1994;Johnson, 2000). The centrality of women in the Western kinship system (Adams, 1970) may be associated with a greater sensitivity to relationships with relatives than that of men. Indeed, earlier research provides some indication of gender differences in the influence of social networks, perceptions of relationship approval from family members being more influential for women than for men in predicting the long-term continuation of premarital relationships (Sprecher and Felmlee, 1992).…”

Variations in Preferred Care Alternatives for the Elderly: Family versus Nonfamily Sources

“…This situation has been met with widely varied reactions: some observers lament such changes while others welcome them. Moreover, there are those who emphasize that the demise of the extended family has been greatly exaggerated (Adams, 1970;Troll, 1971).…”