161Conclusion
In this chapter, in addition to the macro context, we explain diversity by
individuals’ positions in social and family structures. To conclude, we will
now reflect on the extent of the diversity, in order to give a more accurate
portrait of how individuals experience their sociability in the three coun-
tries characterized by contrasting welfare regimes, socio-historical path-
ways, and socio-economic stability.
The main finding to highlight is the impact of the country on per-
sonal configurations, which remains statistically significant when tak-
ing into account social and family structures. Countries provide a
structure of opportunities and constraints in which family and personal
life is experienced. In addition, there are norms and values influencing
individuals’ decisions regarding their sociability and support practices
(Ganjour and Widmer 2016 ). Beyond disparities among countries,
there are some common features too, and we start with the key findings
on commonalities. The overall importance of Standard-nuclear configu-
rations and the importance of Parent and Sibling-oriented configura-
tions confirm that the family of origin and the family of procreation
remain at the centre of most individuals’ personal lives. Focusing on the
disparities, there are two key differentiating features: the extent of the
inclusion of extended kinship and the extent of the inclusion of non-
kin. First, regarding non-kin, on one side of the spectrum lies Lithuania,
with configurations centred predominantly on the nuclear family and
excluding non-kinship ties. On the other side lies Switzerland, with
configurations more open to friendship and work-oriented relation-
ships. Portugal occupies an intermediate position between them.
Regarding the importance of friendship ties in personal networks, we
found that a high proportion of non-kin is more likely to be found in a
country such as Switzerland, with a high GDP and a conservative/lib-
eral welfare regime promoting both individual autonomy and conjugal
interdependency within a nuclear family centred on formal marriage
and male bread-winning when children are young. On the other hand,
welfare states in which there are strong economic constraints, with low
GDP and longstanding reliance on familialization (and refamilialization)
Mapping the Plurality of Personal Configurations