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.^[1] Sociologist Carolyn Rosenthal defined the term in her 1985 article, "Kinkeeping in the Familial Division of Labor".^[2][1]

Kinkeeping activities help extended family members of differing households stay in touch with one another and strengthen intergenerational bonds.^[2] Methods may include telephoning, writing letters, visiting, sending gifts, acting as a caregiver for disabled or infirm family members, or providing economic aid.^[3][1] Women are more likely to act as kinkeepers than men and often organize family events and reunions.^[3] 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.^[4]

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