Meaning of fictive kin | Babel Free

Definitions

Someone who, though unrelated by birth or marriage, has such a close emotional relationship with another that they may be considered part of the family.

countable, uncountable

Examples

“Ebaugh (2000) described three types of fictive kin (family-type) relationships, based not on blood or marriage, but rather on religious rituals or close⟳ friendship ties, that constitutes a type⟳ of social capital which many immigrants bring⟳ with them that facilitates their adjustment to the host⟳ society. […] Fictive kin are shared widely in Spanish-speaking countries, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.”

“Most studies indicate⟳ that Black family members live⟳ in proximity, in part an outcome of segregated communities. These close-knit communities helped to produce⟳ strong fictive kin relations with neighbors and fellow church members, which in turn⟳ provided support⟳ in the face⟳ of discrimination from the larger society.”

“In the socialist era […] [t]he custom of making fictive kin became less popular or went underground. Since the late 1970s, however, the custom has revived in Nanying. While many features of fictive kin relationships remain⟳ the same, the motive for establishing the relationship has changed. Most commonly, people attempt⟳ to improve⟳ household status through the establishment of fictive kin links.”

“Attaining fictive kin status requires that a person have⟳ prolonged physical proximity to a family member in order⟳ to develop⟳ a relationship that is both interdependent and mutually beneficial. Persons generally obtain⟳ fictive kin status by consistently contributing to the emotional or material needs of an individual over time.”

CEFR level