Fictive Kin as a Component of the Social Networks of Older People

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Abstract
This article discusses the concept of fictive kinship and presents the findings of a qualitative study that investigated the fictive family ties of elderly women. In-depth interviews with 142 respondents revealed that 40% could actually identify a fictive family member. Moreover, it was found that these relationships appeared to be a salient and meaningful component of the social networks of these elderly women. Evidence was found to support the substitution principle, or the notion that individuals who have no kin tend to substitute for missing relatives by converting close friends into quasi-kin. It is argued that fictive kinship ought to be given more research attention. Because current demographic trends indicate that a sizable proportion of future generations of elderly people will have considerably fewer "real" family ties, fictive kin could become a very relevant research focus for social gerontologists in particular.