179engaged in activities and exchanges with family members, and thus, the
overall centralisation of the network on Ego decreases. Additionally, an
in-depth analysis of the Portuguese sample showed that 82% of non-kin
alters regarded as family would give emotional support to Ego whenever
needed (Chap. 4 ).
Figure 6.3 shows the network of exchanges of emotional support in
two friendship configurations in Switzerland (A) and Portugal (B).
Case A represents the network of emotional support exchange of a
Swiss man, 40 years old, living with his mother and his partner in a small
town very close to a medium-sized city in the French-speaking part of
Switzerland. He has tertiary education and a full-time job as a bank
employee. He is embedded in a configuration which comprises two male
friends and a female friend. As is the case in many Friendship networks,
especially in Switzerland, this configuration features a bridging type of
social capital, with a high centralisation around Ego. Interestingly, although
Ego co-resides with the mother and the partner, these household members
are absent from the personal networks, confirming the secondary role of
co-residence as a mechanism of proximity in Switzerland, as we showed in
Chap. 3. Case B represents the network of emotional support exchange of
a Portuguese man, 59 years old, living in a suburban area of a large city in
Northern Portugal. He is currently married and has two children. He has
primary school education and a full-time job as an independent wood-
worker. He lives with his wife and his two sons. He is also embedded in a
Friendship configuration comprised of two male friends, his partner, and
Fig. 6.3 Graphical visualisation of the structure of emotional support exchange
in Switzerland (A) and Portugal (B) in two friendship configurations
Understanding Personal Networks as Social Capital