Kinkeeping
Kinkeeping is the act of maintaining and strengthening familial ties. It is a form of emotional labor done both out of a sense of obligation and because of emotional attachment.[1] Kinkeepers play an important role in maintaining family cohesion and continuity. Their efforts contribute significantly to the family's social capital, providing emotional support and a sense of belonging to family members.[2][1]
Sociologist Carolyn Rosenthal defined the term in her 1985 article, "Kinkeeping in the Familial Division of Labor".[3]
Activities
[edit]Kinkeeping activities primarily involve facilitating communication between family members and preparing for family gatherings.[4]
Kinkeeping activities help extended family members of differing households stay in touch with one another and strengthen intergenerational bonds.[2][4] It facilitates the transfer of family traditions, values, and histories from one generation to the next.[5] Families with active kinkeepers tend to feel more connected as a family.[4]
Kinkeeping methods may include telephone calls, writing letters, visiting, sending gifts, acting as a caregiver for disabled or infirm family members, or providing economic aid.[3][1] They may plan family gatherings and holiday events.[4] Maintaining family traditions, such as preparing particular foods for holidays, is a form of kinkeeping.[4]
Kinkeeping tends to be time-consuming.[4] The kinkeepers may enjoy their role, or they may find it burdensome.[4] They may also feel like their work, which often happens in the background, is not recognized or appreciated.[4]
Gender roles
[edit]Women are more likely to act as kinkeepers than men and often organize family events and reunions.[3] A 2006 survey of Americans found that women reported more contact with relatives than men in every age group.[6] A 2017 study found that more than 90% of self-identified kinkeepers were women.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Brown, Laura Hess; Derycke, Sara B. (2010). "The Kinkeeping Connection: Continuity, Crisis and Consensus". Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. 8 (4): 338–353. doi:10.1080/15350770.2010.520616. S2CID 145138489.
- ^ a b Mortimer, Jeylan T.; Shanahan, Michael J., eds. (2006). Handbook of the Life Course, Volume 1. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 156. ISBN 9780387324579.
- ^ a b c Rosenthal, Carolyn J. (1985). "Kinkeeping in the Familial Division of Labor". Journal of Marriage and Family. 47 (4): 965–974. doi:10.2307/352340. JSTOR 352340.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Friedman, Danielle (2024-05-08). "The Constant Work to Keep a Family Connected Has a Name". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ Bengtson, Vern L. (2001). "Beyond the Nuclear Family: The Increasing Importance of Multigenerational Bonds". Journal of Marriage and Family. 63 (1): 1–16.
- ^ Salari, S.; Zhang, W. (2006). "Kin keepers and good providers: Influence of gender socialization on well-being among USA birth cohorts". Aging & Mental Health. 10 (5): 485–496. doi:10.1080/13607860600647975. PMID 16938684. S2CID 24068697.