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  • © 2018

Families and Personal Networks

An International Comparative Perspective

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Uniquely highlights personal and family relationships through the lens of network and life course perspectives as well as gender and generational perspectives
  • Provides a comparative and critical approach, looking at three different European countries
  • Evaluates and challenges the current theoretical assumptions concerning family change in Europe

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
  2. Introduction

    • Eric D. Widmer, Jacques-Antoine Gauthier, Karin Wall, Vida Česnuitytė, Rita Gouveia
    Pages 1-18
  3. Contextualising Personal Networks Across Birth Cohorts and Countries

    • Vasco Ramos, Vida Česnuitytė, Karin Wall, Dominique Joye
    Pages 19-60
  4. A First Portrait of Personal Networks in a Comparative Perspective

    • Rita Gouveia, Gaëlle Aeby, Vida Česnuitytė
    Pages 61-97
  5. Changing Meanings of Family in Personal Relationships: A Comparative Perspective

    • Karin Wall, Rita Gouveia, Gaëlle Aeby, Vida Česnuitytė
    Pages 99-130
  6. Mapping the Plurality of Personal Configurations

    • Gaëlle Aeby, Eric D. Widmer, Vida Česnuitytė, Rita Gouveia
    Pages 131-166
  7. Understanding Personal Networks as Social Capital

    • Eric D. Widmer, Rita Gouveia, Gaëlle Aeby, Vida Česnuitytė
    Pages 167-186
  8. Linking Family Trajectories and Personal Networks

    • Jacques-Antoine Gauthier, Gaëlle Aeby, Vasco Ramos, Vida Česnuitytè
    Pages 187-223
  9. Conclusions

    • Karin Wall, Vida Česnuitytė, Eric D. Widmer, Jacques-Antoine Gauthier
    Pages 225-238
  10. Back Matter

    Pages 239-254

About this book

This book critically assesses the main features of the modernization of family life and personal relationships by examining and comparing three European countries with different social and political pathways: Portugal, Switzerland and Lithuania. Drawing on national surveys of family trajectories and social networks, the contributors highlight personal and family relationships through the lens of network and life course perspectives as well as gender and generational perspectives.

Providing innovative, comparative findings on families and personal networks through the use of diverse methodologies, this edited collection will be of interest to scholars, students and policymakers across a range of social science disciplines.   

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Karin Wall

  • University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Eric D. Widmer

  • University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jacques–Antoine Gauthier

  • Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Vida Česnuitytė

  • Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Switzerland

    Rita Gouveia

About the editors

Karin Wall is Research Professor at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

Eric D. Widmer is Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Jacques–Antoine Gauthier is Senior Lecturer at the Life Course and Social Inequality Research Centre, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Vida Česnuitytė is Lecturer at Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania.

Rita Gouveia is Post–doctoral Fellow at the NCCR–LIVES, University of Geneva, Switzerland.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Families and Personal Networks

  • Book Subtitle: An International Comparative Perspective

  • Editors: Karin Wall, Eric D. Widmer, Jacques–Antoine Gauthier, Vida Česnuitytė, Rita Gouveia

  • Series Title: Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95263-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95262-5Published: 08 February 2018

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95778-1Published: 04 June 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-349-95263-2Published: 30 January 2018

  • Series ISSN: 2731-6440

  • Series E-ISSN: 2731-6459

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XV, 254

  • Number of Illustrations: 7 b/w illustrations, 6 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Sociology of Family, Youth and Aging, Family, Children, Youth and Family Policy

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access