153configurations is probably a better explanation for this than the possi-
bility that intergenerational solidarity may not assist vulnerable indi-
viduals. Finally, it should be noted that in Lithuania, all those in the
sample are highly educated, with very few examples of individuals hav-
ing only primary education. This may explain the absence of clear
trends for individuals with lower levels of educational attainment.
Overall, a focus on the family is more prevalent in disadvantaged social
classes, while reaching outside the family sphere to encompass work
relationships is more a feature of individuals with a higher socio-eco-
nomic position.
We now turn to three aspects of present family life which may directly
impact the make-up of personal configurations. We will consider being
in a conjugal relationship with a partner and living together (either
married or not), as sharing a household means functional dependency.
We will also account for the presence of children in the respondents’ life.
Indeed, transition to parenthood is a key life stage which opens up to a
lasting relationship over the life course. Regardless of age, and even after
the departure from the parental nest, the parent–child relationship tends
to remain important. Finally, we will verify whether there are siblings in
the demographic reservoir.
The experience of being in a couple relationship and living with a
partner has a strong impact on the sociability of individuals in
Switzerland and Lithuania. Individuals who are currently in a partner-
ship in one of these two countries more often develop configurations
related to the family of procreation (Standard-nuclear and Narrow-
nuclear configurations). In Lithuania only, these individuals are also
more likely to have Beanpole configurations and less likely to have non-
kinship configurations like the Friendship or Work-oriented types. The
negative association between partnership and Work-oriented configura-
tions is also found in Switzerland.
Besides conjugality, transition to parenthood is a turning point in most
individuals’ lives and has an impact on personal configurations. Standard-
nuclear, Narrow-nuclear, and Beanpole configurations are those in which
everyone has children (and even grandchildren in Beanpole configura-
tions). In fact, the association between the presence of children and those
configurations was so strong that we had to drop having children from the
Mapping the Plurality of Personal Configurations