Social Networks and Everyday Practices in Russia

My doctoral dissertation in sociology and Russian studies, Social Networks and Everyday Practices in Russia, employs a "micro" or "grassroots" perspective on the transition. The study is a collection of articles detailing social networks in five different contexts. The first article examines Russian birthdays from a network perspective. The second takes a look at health care to see whether networks have become obsolete in a sector that is still overwhelmingly public, but increasingly being monetarised. The third article investigates neighbourhood relations. The fourth details relationships at work, particularly from the vantage point of internal migration. The fifth explores housing and the role of networks and money both in the Soviet and post-Soviet era. The study is based on qualitative social network and interview data gathered among three groups, teachers, doctors and factory workers, in St. Petersburg during 1993-2000. Methodologically it builds on a qualitative social network approach. The study adds a critical element to the discussion on networks in post-socialism. A considerable consensus exists that social networks were vital in state socialist societies and were used to bypass various difficulties caused by endemic shortages and bureaucratic rigidities, but a more debated issue has been their role in post-socialism. Some scholars have argued that the importance of networks has been dramatically reduced in the new market economy, whereas others have stressed their continuing importance. If a common denominator in both has been a focus on networks in relation to the past, a more overlooked aspect has been the question of inequality. To what extent is access to networks unequally distributed? What are the limits and consequences of networks, for those who have access, those outside networks or society at large? My study provides some evidence about inequalities. It shows that some groups are privileged over others, for instance, middle-class people in informal access to health care. Moreover, analysing the formation of networks sheds additional light on inequalities, as it highlights the importance of migration as a mechanism of inequality, for example. The five articles focus on how networks are actually used in everyday life. The article on health care, for instance, shows that personal connections are still important and popular in post-Soviet Russia, despite the growing importance of money and the emergence of "fee for service" medicine. Fifteen of twenty teachers were involved in informal medical exchange during a two-week study period, so that they used their networks to bypass the formal market mechanisms or official procedures. Medicines were obtained through personal connections because some were unavailable at local pharmacies or because these connections could provide medicines for a cheaper price or even for free. The article on neighbours shows that "mutual help" was the central feature of neighbouring, so that the exchange of goods, services and information covered almost half the contacts with neighbours reported. Neighbours did not provide merely small-scale help but were often exchange partners because they possessed important professional qualities, had access to workplace resources, or knew somebody useful. The article on the Russian work collective details workplace-related relationships in a tractor factory and shows that interaction with and assistance from one's co-workers remains important. The most interesting finding was that co-workers were even more important to those who had migrated to the city than to those who were born there, which is explained by the specifics of Soviet migration. As a result, the workplace heavily influenced or absorbed contexts for the worker migrants to establish relationships whereas many meeting-places commonly available in Western countries were largely absent or at least did not function as trusted public meeting places to initiate relationships. More results are to be found from my dissertation: Anna-Maria Salmi: Social Networks and Everyday Practices in Russia, Kikimora Publications, 2006, see www.kikimora-publications.com.

Keskiluokkainen kulutuseetos 1920–1950-luvuilla syntyneiden suomalaisten kulutuskerronnassa

Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan suomalaista kulutuskulttuuria ja sen muuttumista kulutuskerronnan kautta. Aineisto koostuu 39 iäkkään, 1920–1950-luvuilla syntyneen, suomalaisen kuluttajaelämäkerroista, jotka kerättiin kirjoituskilpailulla. Tutkielmassa analysoidaan informanttien kulutukseen ja rahankäyttöön liittämiä hyveitä sekä sitä, millaisista kulutuseetoksista hyveet kertovat. Elämäkertojen erittelyyn ja tulkintaan on sovellettu lähiluentaa. Analyysin avulla on rakennettu tulkinta keskiluokkaisesta kulutuseetoksesta. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys pohjautuu kulutuksen normatiivisia merkityksiä, kulutuseetoksia ja keskiluokkaisuutta käsitteleviin tutkimuksiin. Tulkintaa ohjaa lisäksi ymmärrys tutkittavan sukupolven elämänkulusta suomalaisen kulutusyhteiskunnan kehityksen näkökulmasta. Tutkittavan sukupolven elämän aikana kotitalous on kehittynyt agraarisen yhteiskunnan omavaraisesta tuotantoyksiköstä vauraan yhteiskunnan kulutukseen ja sosiaaliseen uusintamiseen keskittyväksi instituutioksi. Palkkatyöläisyys, vapaa-aika ja kulutusmahdollisuudet ovat lisääntyneet, ja yhteiskuntaa leimaa keskiluokkaistuminen. Elämäkerroista löytyvät säästäväisyyden ja vaatimattomuuden hyveet kertovat talonpoikaisen kulutueetoksen olevan edelleen keskeinen kulutuseetos, mutta niukkuuden hyveellistämisen lisäksi kulutuskerronnasta löytyy myös modernimpia tapoja suhtautua kulutukseen. Tulkitsen kuluttajaelämäkerroista löytyvien järkevyyden, tavallisuuden ja työnteon hyveiden kertovan keskiluokkaisuudesta. Hyveellinen kuluttaminen on keskiluokkaisessa kulutuseetoksessa talonpoikaista kulutuseetosta sallivampaa. Se määrittyy niukan kuluttamisen sijaan kohtuullisen ja tavallisen kuluttamisen hyveellistämiseksi. Keskiluokkaisessa kulutuseetoksessa on hyväksyttävää nauttia kohtuudella ja järkevästi omalla työllä ansaitusta vaurastumisesta. Talonpoikaisesta kulutuseetoksesta poiketen keskiluokkainen kulutuseetos hyväksyy kulutuksesta saatavan nautinnon. Sanonta ”ensin työ, sitten huvi” kuvaa keskiluokkaisen kulutuseetoksen tapaa suhtautua vaurastumisen mukanaan tuomaan kulutuskulttuuriin ja sen nautintoihin.

Global processes, local strategies : migration of educated Dominicans.

The aim of this thesis is to examine migration of educated Dominicans in light of global processes. Current global developments have resulted in increasingly global movements of people, yet people tend to come from certain places in large numbers rather than others. At the same time, international migration is increasingly selective, which shows in the disproportional number of educated migrants. This study discovers individual and societal motivations that explain why young educated Dominicans decide to migrate and return. The theoretical framework of this thesis underlines that migration is a dynamic process rooted in other global developments. Migratory movements should be seen as a result of interacting macro- and microstructures, which are linked by a number of intermediate mechanisms, meso-structures. The way individuals perceive opportunity structures concretises the way global developments mediate to the micro-level. The case of the Dominican Republic shows that there is a diversity of local responses to the world system, as Dominicans have produced their own unique historical responses to global changes. The thesis explains that Dominican migration is importantly conditioned by socioeconomic and educational background. Migration is more accessible for the educated middle class, because of the availability of better resources. Educated migrants also seem less likely to rely on networks to organize their migrations. The role of networks in migration differs by socioeconomic background on the one hand, and by the specific connections each individual has to current and previous migrants on the other hand. The personal and cultural values of the migrant are also pivotal. The central argument of this thesis is that a veritable culture of migration has evolved in the Dominican Republic. The actual economic, political and social circumstances have led many Dominicans to believe that there are better opportunities elsewhere. The globalisation of certain expectations on the one hand, and the development of the specifically Dominican feeling of ‘externalism’ on the other, have for their part given rise to the Dominican culture of migration. The study also suggests that the current Dominican development model encourages migration. Besides global structures, local structures are found to ve pivotal in determining how global processes are materialised in a specific place. The research for this thesis was conducted by using qualitative methodology. The focus of this thesis was on thematic interviews that reveal the subject’s point of view and give a fuller understanding of migration and mobility of the educated. The data was mainly collected during a field research phase in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic in December 2009 and January 2010. The principal material consists of ten thematic interviews held with educated Dominican current or former migrants. Four expert interviews, relevant empirical data, theoretical literature and newspaper articles were also comprehensively used.

Global Processes, Local Strategies : migration of educated Dominicans.

The aim of this thesis is to examine migration of educated Dominicans in light of global processes. Current global developments have resulted in increasingly global movements of people, yet people tend to come from certain places in large numbers rather than others. At the same time, international migration is increasingly selective, which shows in the disproportional number of educated migrants. This study discovers individual and societal motivations that explain why young educated Dominicans decide to migrate and return. The theoretical framework of this thesis underlines that migration is a dynamic process rooted in other global developments. Migratory movements should be seen as a result of interacting macro- and microstructures, which are linked by a number of intermediate mechanisms, meso-structures. The way individuals perceive opportunity structures concretises the way global developments mediate to the micro-level. The case of the Dominican Republic shows that there is a diversity of local responses to the world system, as Dominicans have produced their own unique historical responses to global changes. The thesis explains that Dominican migration is importantly conditioned by socioeconomic and educational background. Migration is more accessible for the educated middle class, because of the availability of better resources. Educated migrants also seem less likely to rely on networks to organize their migrations. The role of networks in migration differs by socioeconomic background on the one hand, and by the specific connections each individual has to current and previous migrants on the other hand. The personal and cultural values of the migrant are also pivotal. The central argument of this thesis is that a veritable culture of migration has evolved in the Dominican Republic. The actual economic, political and social circumstances have led many Dominicans to believe that there are better opportunities elsewhere. The globalisation of certain expectations on the one hand, and the development of the specifically Dominican feeling of ‘externalism’ on the other, have for their part given rise to the Dominican culture of migration. The study also suggests that the current Dominican development model encourages migration. Besides global structures, local structures are found to ve pivotal in determining how global processes are materialised in a specific place. The research for this thesis was conducted by using qualitative methodology. The focus of this thesis was on thematic interviews that reveal the subject’s point of view and give a fuller understanding of migration and mobility of the educated. The data was mainly collected during a field research phase in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic in December 2009 and January 2010. The principal material consists of ten thematic interviews held with educated Dominican current or former migrants. Four expert interviews, relevant empirical data, theoretical literature and newspaper articles were also comprehensively used.

Vapaussodan perintö : Valkoisuus paikallisyhteisössä sisältö, ylläpitäjät ja rapautuminen Iisalmessa 1918 1933

Legacy of the Finnish Civil War. White nationalism in a local community - content, supporters and disintegration in Iisalmi 1918 - 1933. Using one local community (Iisalmi) as an example, this study centres around the winners of the 1918 Finnish Civil War, exploring their collectivity its subsequent breakdown during 1918 - 1933. Referring to this collectivity by the methodological concept of white nationalism, the thesis first discusses its origin, content and forms. This is done by elucidating the discourses and symbols that came to constitute central ideological and ritualistic elements of white nationalism. Next, the thesis describes and analyzes fundamental actors of the Finnish civil society (such as White Guard and Lotta Svärd) that maintained white nationalism as a form of counter or parallel hegemony to the integration policy of the 1920s. Also highlighted is the significance of white nationalism as a power broker and an instrument of moral regulation in inter-war Finnish society. A third contribution of this thesis involves presenting a new interpretation of the legacy of the Civil War, i.e., the right-wing radicalism during the years 1919 - 1933. I shall describe attempts of the extreme right (Lapua Movement and IKL, Patriotic People s Movement) to use the white nationalism discourse as a vehicle for their political ambitions, as well as the strong counter-reaction these attempts induced among other middle-class groups. At the core of this research is the concept of white nationalism, whose key elements were the sacrifice of 1918, fatherland under threat and warrior citizenship. Winners of the civil war strove to blend these ideals into a homogenized culture, to which the working class and wavering members of the middle-class were coaxed and pressurized to subscribe. The thesis draws on Anglo-American symbol theories, theory of social identity groups, Antonio Gramsci s concept of cultural hegemony and Stuart Hall s approach to discourse and power.

Domestic labour relations in India : Vulnerability and gendered life courses in Jaipur

This study explores labour relations between domestic workers and employers in India. It is based on interviews with both employers and workers, and ethnographically oriented field work in Jaipur, carried out in 2004-2007. Combining development studies with gender studies, labour studies, and childhood studies, it asks how labour relations between domestic workers and employers are formed in Jaipur, and how female domestic workers trajectories are created. Focusing on female part-time maids and live-in work arrangements, the study analyses children s work in the context of overall work force, not in isolation from it. Drawing on feminist Marxism, domestic labour relations are seen as an arena of struggle. The study takes an empirical approach, showing class through empiria and shows how paid domestic work is structured and stratified through intersecting hierarchies of class, caste, gender, age, ethnicity and religion. The importance of class in domestic labour relations is reiterated, but that of caste, so often downplayed by employers, is also emphasized. Domestic workers are crucial to the functioning of middle and upper middle class households, but their function is not just utilitarian. Through them working women and housewives are able to maintain purity and reproduce class disctinctions, both between poor and middle classes and lower and upper middle classes. Despite commodification of work relations, traditional elements of service relationships have been retained, particularly through maternalist practices such as gift giving, creating a peculiar blend of traditional and market practices. Whilst employers of part-time workers purchase services in a segmented market from a range of workers for specific, traditional live-in workers are also hired to serve employers round the clock. Employers and workers grudgingly acknowledged their dependence on one another, employers seeking various strategies to manage fear of servant crime, such as the hiring of children or not employing live-in workers in dual-earning households. Paid domestic work carries a heavy stigma and provide no entry to other jobs. It is transmitted from mothers to daughters and working girls were often the main income providers in their families. The diversity of working conditions is analysed through a continuum of vulnerability, generic live-in workers, particularly children and unmarried young women with no close family in Jaipur, being the most vulnerable and experienced part-time workers the least vulnerable. Whilst terms of employment are negotiated informally and individually, some informal standards regarding salary and days off existed for maids. However, employers maintain that workings conditions are a matter of individual, moral choice. Their reluctance to view their role as that of employers and the workers as their employees is one of the main stumbling blocks in the way of improved working conditions. Key words: paid domestic work, India, children s work, class, caste, gender, life course

Kansan raittiudeksi ja kotien onneksi : Naisten kieltolakimielipiteet ja toiminta kieltolain puolesta ja sitä vastaan 1919 - 1932

It is often maintained that the Prohibition Act (in force from 1 June 1919 to 5 April 1932) still influences both the Finnish alcohol policy and notions about alcohol. This study focuses on the development of women s opinions concerning Prohibition in Finland. What role did the formulation and expression of women s opinions and women's actions play in the final outcome of the Prohibition Act? What do the debate on Prohibition and women s activities for and against the legislation tell us about the status and possibilities of women to exert influence in the Finnish society of the Prohibition era? Women s opinions are particularly interesting since they deviated radically from what has generally been assumed. It was expected that the referendum of 1931 would result in a resounding vote of 100% in favour of Prohibition, but the outcome was a majority vote against it. Over 65% of the women who cast their vote in the referendum wanted a full repeal of Prohibition. The study approaches the history of Prohibition by combining methods and theories of the history of mentalities and social history with gender history. Women are examined as a heterogeneous group with dissimilar objectives and differing ways of acting and thinking. The research material consists of press materials, archival materials from organisations, personal materials and statistics from the Prohibition period. Both discourses and practices are examined; the object of the research is best described by Michel Foucault's concept of dispositif. When participating in the public debate on Prohibition, women based their right to express their opinions and take part in action on an ideological continuum spanning a hundred years, according to which home and family were central areas of women s interest. This idea was linked to questions of morality and social policy. On the other hand, women presented themselves as working taxpayers, voters and equal citizens. The most crucial issue in women's discussions was whether Prohibition improved or worsened the temperance of fathers, husbands and sons. The dichotomies town dweller - countryside dweller, Swedish-speaking Finnish-speaking, and middle class - working class were highly significant backgrounds both as factors dividing women and in public discussions regarding Prohibition. The 1931 referendum showed that the lines of demarcation drawn during the preceding debate did not materialise in political action in line with these dichotomies: the dispositif did not correspond to the discourse. Contrary to what was expressed in public, a great number of women among the labour and rural classes, among inland inhabitants and among Finnish-speakers were also against Prohibition. The media and organisations defended temperance and Prohibition almost until the end of the Prohibition era. This discourse was in conflict with the discourse of everyday conversations and practices in which alcohol was present.

Consumerist Predators"? Emerging lifestyles between McDonaldization and sustainability perspectives: the case of highly qualified employees (HQEs) in India

In industrializing countries new groups of consumers with remarkable purchasing power are emerging. Representing a ?new middle class? they are seen as a carrier and promoter of a so-called ?western way of life? beyond the OECD countries. They are presented as having a consumerist predator lifestyle which stands in conflict with the requirements for a sustainable future. Furthermore, they are imputed a profound lack of a sense of responsibility towards society. However, such a ?civil society spirit? is a core prerequisite for coping with the challenge of changing existing lifestyles to insure a more sustainable future....

Characterization of rural livelihood of Lake Chad basin fishermen

The study examined the characterization of rural livelihood of the fishermen in the Nigeria portion of Lake Chad Basin are as part of European Commission (EC) founded project entitled "Sustainable development of continental fisheries; a regional study of policy options and policy formation mechanisms for the Lake Chad Basin" Wealth ranking exercise which was not based on real income but on production capacity of the fishermen was carried out in twenty (20) villages survey on the western part of the region using Rapid Rural Appraisal Technique with semi- structured interviews. The different activities carried out by the villagers for living were identified according to their socio-economic status. This was followed by an assessment of the socio-economic characterization within each wealth group. Series of comparative analysis of the ethnic composition, accessibility of fishing gear ownership by the population were done. The results show that the 3 wealth groups in the region include the rich (Group 1) the middle class (Group 2) and the poor (Group 3). It was identified that fishing is just one component of the socio-economic production system along side farming, livestock rearing and trading which are closely integrated. The diversified livelihood system being practiced in the Chad Basin region are not only less vulnerable but also more sustainable

Death or taxes? The political economy of sanitation expenditure in nineteenth-century Britain

This thesis consists of three papers studying the relationship between democratic reform, expenditure on sanitation public goods and mortality in Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century. During this period decisions over spending on critical public goods such as water supply and sewer systems were made by locally elected town councils, leading to extensive variation in the level of spending across the country. This dissertation uses new historical data to examine the political factors determining that variation, and the consequences for mortality rates.

The first substantive chapter describes the spread of government sanitation expenditure, and analyzes the factors that determined towns' willingness to invest. The results show the importance of towns' financial constraints, both in terms of the available tax base and access to borrowing, in limiting the level of expenditure. This suggests that greater involvement by Westminster could have been very effective in expediting sanitary investment. There is little evidence, however, that democratic reform was an important driver of greater expenditure.

Chapter 3 analyzes the effect of extending voting rights to the poor on government public goods spending. A simple model predicts that the rich and the poor will desire lower levels of public goods expenditure than the middle class, and so extensions of the right to vote to the poor will be associated with lower spending. This prediction is tested using plausibly exogenous variation in the extent of the franchise. The results strongly support the theoretical prediction: expenditure increased following relatively small extensions of the franchise, but fell once more than approximately 50% of the adult male population held the right to vote.

Chapter 4 tests whether the sanitary expenditure was effective in combating the high mortality rates following the Industrial Revolution. The results show that increases in urban expenditure on sanitation-water supply, sewer systems and streets-was extremely effective in reducing mortality from cholera and diarrhea.

Governança urbana no município de Niterói-RJ: a emergência de territorialidades e conflitos em Camboinhas

Este trabalho apresenta uma análise sobre as singularidades das políticas urbanas atuais e os reflexos dos novos modelos de planejamento urbano na manutenção e reprodução dos espaços de segregação da elite e da classe média alta na cidade de Niterói - RJ. Para isso, discutiremos a produção do espaço urbano em tempos de globalização, sobretudo no que tange ao advento de políticas públicas pautadas no modelo de empreendedorismo urbano e no consequente aprofundamento da fragmentação socioespacial. Demonstramos assim, o estabelecimento de uma multiplicidade de pólos de iniciativa e decisão nas cidades, envolvendo atores públicos, semi-públicos, não-governamentais e privados. Através do estudo de caso de Camboinhas no município de Niterói RJ e da associação que realiza a gestão deste espaço, a Sociedade Pró-Preservação Urbanística e Ecológica de Camboinhas SOPRECAM, buscamos compreender a formação de um território, e a territorialização dos agentes envolvidos como estratégia que reflete a nova dinâmica de produção do espaço urbano e dos enclaves territoriais denominados espaços de auto-segregação. A premissa apresentada é que, em tempos de globalização, com o advento da governança urbana, a cidade torna-se uma arena onde novos e diferentes atores exercem diferentes e divergentes apropriações/domínios, acentuando os conflitos/tensões no espaço urbano. Nesta perspectiva, os conceitos de território e territorialidade são fundamentais para compreensão das estratégias de apropriação dos espaços da cidade e defesa dos interesses privados desses novos atores, refletindo e ampliando a dualização/fragmentação urbana.

O impacto do desemprego nas relações familiares: solidariedade e conflito em famílias de camadas médias

A presente Dissertação trata de uma análise sobre as questões que envolvem o retorno de jovens casais à casa materna ou paterna causado pelo desemprego e/ou dificuldade de inserção no mercado de trabalho. Questões estas que vão desde a precarização das condições materiais da família até os efeitos do desemprego nas relações familiares. Na constatação deste quadro, uma questão inicial surgiu: O desemprego estaria provocando uma nova dinâmica na organização das famílias de camadas médias urbanas? Ou seja, a recoabitação como estratégia de apoio no momento do desemprego estaria provocando a co-residência forçada entre duas ou mais gerações, alterando assim a tendência à nuclearização da família, iniciada a partir dos nos anos 70? Mais ainda, a dependência entre as gerações estaria comprometendo a autonomia dos indivíduos na família? Essas foram algumas das indagações investigadas nessa pesquisa.

Improváveis relações: produção de sentidos sobre o masculino no contexto de amizade entre homens homo e heterossexuais

Esta tese é um estudo acerca da produção de sentidos sobre a masculinidade e suas relações com a homofobia. Parte-se da premissa de que tanto a masculinidade quanto a homofobia são fenômenos construídos socialmente. A adoção do regime de amizade entre homens de orientações sexuais distintas permite problematizar as dinâmicas de gênero presentes nessa relação específica de homossociabilidade e suas interrelações com as diferentes concepções sobre masculinidade, homossexualidade e homofobia. A homofobia é compreendida sob duas perspectivas: (1) como um preconceito que gera discriminações e violências contra pessoas não heterossexuais; e (2) como um dispositivo regulador da relação entre homens, constituindo-se como um dos pilares da construção da masculinidade heterossexual. O trabalho de campo incluiu entrevistas individuais com homens heterossexuais de camadas médias das cidades do Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo que mantém relações de amizade com homens homossexuais. O conjunto dos participantes é heterogêneo no tocante à faixa etária (entre 25 e 47 anos), exercício profissional e experiências diversas de convívio com pessoas homossexuais. São analisadas as tensões, dilemas e ressignificações que ajudam a produzir diferentes sentidos para a masculinidade. Os resultados apontam para a coexistência de sentidos convencionais e liberais acerca do gênero e da sexualidade masculinos.

Adolescência e sentido de vida

Esta pesquisa tem como problema de investigação o sentido de vida na adolescência. E os objetivos a alcançar foram: discutir questões atuais relativas à adolescência; analisar questões centrais da Logoterapia, propostas por Viktor Frankl; e investigar empiricamente o sentido de vida na adolescência. Na pesquisa ex post facto realizada, foram submetidas à corroboração cinco conjecturas, relacionando adolescência, sexo, orientação confessional da escola e sentido de vida. Os participantes foram 230 alunos, cuja idade variou de 16 a 18 anos, sendo 91 do sexo masculino e 139 do sexo feminino, todos eles matriculados em escolas públicas e privadas do Ensino Médio da cidade de Petrópolis, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Foram selecionadas duas escolas públicas, uma estadual e uma municipal, além de quatro escolas privadas, sendo duas leigas e duas confessionais, que atendem alunos de classe sócio-econômica diferenciada. Utilizamos o Logo-Teste, originalmente elaborado por Elizabeth Lukas, como instrumento de medida do sentido de vida dos participantes. Das cinco conjecturas testadas, duas foram corroboradas: a de que não há diferença significativa no sentido de vida entre adolescentes do sexo masculino e do sexo feminino e a de que não há diferença significativa no sentido de vida entre adolescentes de escolas públicas e particulares leigas. Além disso, observou-se que as médias obtidas por todos os grupos de participantes situam-se na faixa da estabilidade psíquica, sem riscos de ocorrência de neurose noógena ou depressão noógena.

A representação social da união estável na classe média do Rio de Janeiro

A união estável é uma forma de relação conjugal presente, como concubinato, em diversas sociedades desde a antiguidade, constituindo uma opção de vida conjugal que tem se tornado cada vez mais freqüente na atualidade. O novo Código Civil (2002), em coerência com as mudanças introduzidas pela Constituição de 1988, confere a esse tipo de vínculo o título de entidade familiar, passando ele a compor o Livro de Família deste diploma legal. O tratamento jurídico fez dessa forma de relação antiga um novo arranjo conjugal, fato com inúmeras implicações no âmbito da vida privada. Como fato novo, a união estável gera estranhamentos, provocando um processo de familiarização social através da sua ancoragem em forma de relações conjugais já existentes: o casamento ou o concubinato. A partir desse entendimento, o presente trabalho teve por objetivo descrever, analisar e comparar as representações sociais a respeito da união estável produzidas por homens e mulheres, em quatro condições distintas: casados, solteiros, em união estável, separados. A amostra da pesquisa empírica foi composta de 304 sujeitos, com 76 em cada situação conjugal considerada, sendo metade homens e metade mulheres. O instrumento utilizado foi um questionário composto de 41 questões, sendo 21 fechadas e 19 abertas. Dentre elas, 40 são questões substantivas relativas à união estável, com vistas à obtenção de dados que configurem circunstancialmente as representações sociais. O questionário é iniciado por uma questão específica de evocação livre à descrição de uma relação conjugal do tipo união estável, para identificação dos conteúdos temáticos básicos e da estrutura das representações, de modo a permitir sua comparação. Finalmente, uma questão, desmembrada em 6 itens, visa à caracterização sócio-demográfica do conjunto dos sujeitos. As evocações foram analisadas através do software EVOC, permitindo identificar a estrutura das representações sociais. As respostas às perguntas fechadas e abertas, estas após sua categorização, foram objeto de um tratamento estatístico descritivo simples. Os resultados demonstraram que o núcleo central das representações sociais dos quatro grupos investigados compõe-se basicamente pelos sentimentos de amor e respeito. Observou-se também um alto grau de informação a respeito da união estável e posicionamentos predominantemente favoráveis tanto a respeito da legalização quanto em relação a alguns de seus aspectos jurídicos considerados polêmicos, como a conversão da união estável em casamento. Este estudo evidenciou ainda que a representação social da união estável procede basicamente de uma ancoragem no casamento, embora se tenha observado também a perpetuação da crença existente no senso comum de que é mais fácil se separar na união estável do que casamento