Intergenerational Ties in Finnish Urban Families

Ties between couples and wife's parents are closer than ties with husband's parents in families in urban industrial societies. A crucial factor in this matrilateral emphasis is separation of the husband's work role from connections with kin. These general hypotheses were formulated on the basis of an extensive review of previously available evidence. Specific predictions were formulated as to (1) matrilateral emphasis in intergenerational ties, and (2) the effect of separation of men's work from connections with kin. The predictions were successfully tested with data obtained from interviews with both husband and wife in a probability sample of 200 married couples in Helsinki, Finland. The success of these predictions, together with the breadth of evidence previously reviewed, warrant the conclusion that a basic and stable feature of family relations in urban industrial societies has been disclosed.