Chapter 6: Domestic Networks Summary and Analysis

The swapping network, which includes the care of children—and even the permanent possession of children—and the exchange of various material goods, also includes domestic arrangements. A given person living in the Flats may find his or herself living in several places over a very short period of time; the reasons for these moves is often the result of several factors working simultaneously. One of the most obvious reasons for changing one's living arrangements is some change in the family's economic circumstances. If, for example, a woman is living with her children and a boyfriend, and he loses his job, the family may no longer be able to afford rent. While the entire group—mother, children, and boyfriend—may move together, it is common for them to split up. The boyfriend may...