A DECADE OF NETWORK CHANGE - TURNOVER, PERSISTENCE AND STABILITY IN PERSONAL COMMUNITIES

We analyze changes in intimate ties in personal community networks. Ou r data come from interviews conducted a decade apart with 33 Torontoni ans. There is much turnover in these networks, with only 27% of intima te ties persisting. Durable ties tend to be with intimates who have pr ovided social support, are in frequent telephone contact, or are kin. There was almost complete turnover in the networks of those respondent s who got married during the decade. By contrast, the amount of turnov er in networks is not associated with whether the respondents had chil dren, moved to a different home, or started/stopped doing paid work du ring the decade.