- Source: Kinkeeping
Kinkeeping is the act of maintaining and strengthening familial ties. It is a form of emotional labor done both out of a sense of obligation and because of emotional attachment. Sociologist Carolyn Rosenthal defined the term in her 1985 article, "Kinkeeping in the Familial Division of Labor". According to her, kinkeepers play an important role in maintaining family cohesion and continuity. Their efforts contribute significantly to the family's social capital, providing emotional support and a sense of belonging to family members.
Kinkeeping activities help extended family members of differing households stay in touch with one another and strengthen intergenerational bonds. It facilitates the transfer of family traditions, values, and histories from one generation to the next. Families with active kinkeepers tend to feel more connected as a family.
Kinkeeping methods may include telephone calls, writing letters, visiting, sending gifts, acting as a caregiver for disabled or infirm family members, or providing economic aid. Maintaining family traditions, such as preparing particular foods for holidays, is a form of kinkeeping.
Women are more likely to act as kinkeepers than men and often organize family events and reunions. A 2006 survey of three different cohorts of Americans including those born before 1930, 1946–1964, and 1965–1976 found that women reported more contact with relatives than men in every cohort.
Kinkeeping tends to be time-consuming. The kinkeepers may enjoy their role, or they may find it burdensome.