Kinship Networks, Kinlessness and Friendship across the Life Course. An Extensive Analysis of the Italian Case over a 20-Year Period

Elena Pirani, University of Florence
Bruno Arpino, Università Di Padova
Eleonora Meli, Istat
Marta Pittavino, University of Venezia

The complex net of human relationships, particularly within the framework of kinship networks, unfolds as a pivotal aspect of individuals' life course experiences. With demographic shifts, evolving societal norms, and changing family structures reshaping the landscape, scholars have increasingly turned their attention to understanding the dynamics of kinship across the various stages of life. This study explores the evolving dynamics of kinship networks across the life course, filling gaps in the literature on kinlessness and friendships. With data from ISTAT's 1998 and 2016 Families and Social Subjects Survey, we analyze the presence and absence of kinship networks in Italy. The results provide a picture of the kinship networks of Italian individuals throughout the life course, encompassing various kinships and friendship configurations and spanning the last two decades, which have been characterized by profound family changes. We found that most Italians maintain diverse close kin networks throughout their lives, though kin availability declines in older ages, particularly for women. When kinship networks are absent, people are able to activate friendship networks on which they rely. This study advances the understanding of kinship dynamics, laying the groundwork for future studies on the intersection of family structures and social ties.

Keywords: Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Population Ageing, Families, Unions and Households, Population projections, forecasts, and estimations

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