tuttavapiirin

Tuttavapiiri is a Finnish term referring to the set of people with whom an individual has social ties that are looser than close family but closer than random strangers. It typically includes acquaintances, colleagues, neighbours, and sometimes friends and relatives, forming a personal social network around a person.

In research and public discourse, tuttavapiiri is used to describe how information, recommendations, and influence flow through a person’s contacts. The size, density, and closeness of ties within tuttavapiiri affect the reach and reliability of word-of-mouth communication, the diffusion of information, and the potential impact of marketing or public messaging.

The term is mainly used in Finnish-language contexts. Its English equivalents are circle of acquaintances or acquaintance network. The genitive form tuttavapiirin is used when referring to the circle’s characteristics or scope, for example tuttavapiirin laajuus (the breadth of the circle).

Etymology: tuttava means acquaintance and piiri means circle. The concept is a standard topic in Finnish sociology and communication studies, where it helps describe how individuals are connected to their social environment and how those connections influence behavior and information flow.

See also: social network, word-of-mouth marketing, social capital.