Family Relationships and Social Networks in Modern Societies: A Comparative Examination of Germany and South Korea

The aim of this study is to compare the personal relationships in West Germany and South Korea using ego-centered network analysis. It is assumed that the contacts with kin have diminished and non-kin relationships are replacing kin ties in modern Western industrial societies. How are the personal relationships in Asian societies which, like Western societies, have experienced rapid social changes due to industrialization and modernization, but are embedded in other norms of family and kin relationships? Through the comparative analysis it seems that the personal relationships in both countries are similarly constructed. But considering the role of kin relations, especially as social resources, differences can be observed.