Perhesiteet

Perhesiteet (Finnish for "family ties") refer to the social bonds between family members—blood relatives, spouses, and adoptive kin—that form kinship networks and coordinate caregiving, support, inheritance, and social identity. These ties can be both formal and informal and extend across generations and households. They structure expectations of care, financial support, and protective responsibilities, and they shape how individuals relate to one another within a family and in the wider community.

Common components include kinship networks, family roles, obligations, and alliances. The strength and configuration of perhesiteet vary across cultures and historical periods, influenced by laws, economic conditions, and norms around marriage, child-rearing, and caregiving.

In Finland and other Nordic countries, perhesiteet operate within a robust welfare state, but family networks remain a key source of practical and emotional support, especially for children and older adults. Changes in society—higher divorce rates, remarriage, cohabitation, and recognition of diverse family forms—have expanded the range of kinship arrangements, including stepfamilies and chosen families formed through friendship.

Legal frameworks around guardianship, adoption, and inheritance shape the formal dimension of perhesiteet, while cultural and religious norms continue to influence expected duties and reciprocity. Social researchers study perhesiteet using kinship analysis, social network data, and intergenerational caregiving patterns to understand how family ties affect well-being, social capital, and mobility.