91expectations. In Switzerland, the normative weight of the family is weaker
and individuals are not so instrumentally dependent on relatives, allow-
ing for a greater exercise of choice and more autonomy in relation to
family ties. It is also important to highlight that economic conditions,
and in particular housing needs, may structurally shape these different
weights attributed to kinship and co-residence in the three countries.
Whereas in Switzerland, institutional support and cultural norms foster
early leaving from the parental home and make independent housing
more accessible, in Portugal and Lithuania, given the precariousness of
the labour market and lack of the housing market context, living in the
parental home or sharing a household with other relatives represents a
coping strategy rather than a lifestyle choice. Therefore, co-residency is a
mechanism that binds people together in strong emotional and instru-
mental interdependencies but also confines personal relationships mainly
to relatives. For instance, living alone opens the circles of interaction
towards the integration of friends. Given the importance of this issue,
Chap. 7 focuses on the impact of the co-residence trajectories on the
composition of personal networks.
Besides the importance of national context, which is undoubtedly the
strongest shaping factor, structural and normative factors also play an
important role in the composition of personal networks. Birth-cohort
membership, although crucial for the inclusion of co-resident ties and
old acquaintanceships, is mainly related to life-stage effects and to the
demographic reservoir (discussed in Chap. 5 ). Gender regulates per-
sonal networks, primarily their size and the integration of long-lasting
ties. Overall, women have larger networks than men, which is congru-
ent with the fact that women are more actively engaged in the exchange
of care and support and in promoting family and friendship gatherings.
Moreover, in the case of couples, the husband’s sociability often operates
through women’s interactions and exchanges. Also, women are more
likely to include a higher proportion of very old acquaintances. This can
be explained by their role as caregivers towards ascendant kin (parents
and parents-in-law), as well as their active role in the maintenance of
relationship quality. In terms of the gender composition of networks, we
found a slight overrepresentation of female network members. Still,
A First Portrait of Personal Networks in a Comparative...