75Switzerland (M = 0.65). In sum, the fact of having shared the same house-
hold in the present or in the past plays a significant role as a mechanism
of closeness for Lithuania and a less important one for Switzerland.
Portugal again occupies an intermediate position, as seven in ten alters are
past co-residents. It seems plausible to affirm that the fact of Swiss net-
works being built outside the household confinements might be associ-
ated with a faster and more reachable residential autonomy in comparison
with the two other countries. In Portugal as in Lithuania, given the social
and economic instability, residing with relatives or sharing a house with
friends might be a coping strategy for facing financial hardships (even if
transitory). The lack of a housing market in Lithuania is an additional
reason for this feature. At the same time, the interpretation of these find-
ings should be combined with the previous examination of the main types
of ties cited. Given the prominence of non-kin ties in Switzerland and
that friends and colleagues may have never lived in the same household
with ego, the lowest proportion of co-resident alters in this country is not
surprising. By contrast, the personal networks of Lithuanians are more
confined to the elements of both family of origin and procreation, which
are ties that usually share or have shared the same household with ego.
Given the diversity of ties in Portugal mixing both non-kin and extended
kin (in-laws), co-residence is an important but secondary feature.
Duration of the Relationship
To evaluate the duration of the relationships between ego and alters, we
computed the proportion of alters who shared different time lengths in
ego’s life.^4
Lithuania shows a high proportion of very recent acquaintances (36%),
followed by Portugal and Switzerland which show the same average pro-
portion (18%; F = 113.61; p < 0.001) (Fig. 3.3). Switzerland stands out
as the country with the lowest proportions of recent acquaintances (16%)
and of old acquaintances (19%). Instead, Swiss networks present the high-
est proportion of very old acquaintances (47%), followed by Portugal (24%)
and Lithuania (6%). These results highlight the differential of the dura-
tion of the relationship as a criterion to be included in personal networks.
In Lithuania, alters who shared less than one quarter of ego’s life represent
A First Portrait of Personal Networks in a Comparative...