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Everyday morality in families and a critique of social capital: an investigation into moral judgements, responsibilities, and sentiments in Kyrgyzstani households

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Abstract

This article examines individuals’ lay understandings of moral responsibilities between adult kin members. Moral sentiments and practical judgments are important in shaping kinship responsibilities. The article discusses how judgments on requests of support can be reflexive and critical, taking into account many factors, including merit, social proximity, a history of personal encounters, overlapping commitments, and moral identity in the family. In so doing, we argue that moral responsibilities are contextual and relational. We also analyze how class, gender, and capabilities affect how individuals imagine, expect and discuss care responsibilities. We also offer a critique of social capital theory of families, suggesting that their versions of morality are instrumental, alienated, and restrictive. Although Bourdieu’s concept of habitus overlaps with our proposed moral sentiments approach, the former does not adequately address moral concerns, commitments, and evaluations. The article aims to contribute to a better understanding of everyday morality by drawing upon different literatures in sociology, moral philosophy, postcommunism, and development studies.

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Notes

  1. The household can take a variety of forms. In Kyrgyzstan, it is typical for a couple of families to live in the same house or apartment, or for adult children to live with their parents until they can get enough money to buy their own place.

  2. Social capital theorists are also consequentialists, in that chosen actions do not have value in themselves, but only as instruments to produce good consequences.

  3. Economic remittances make a significant contribution to the national income of poor post-Soviet Central Asian countries. There are parallels with Mexican immigrants in the United States, who send back significant remittances.

  4. A similar study on kinship care was undertaken by one of our authors, who conducted social surveys and in-depth interviews in various regions in Kyrgyzstan, and it supported our key findings (Ablezova et al. 2009).

  5. The names of our interviewees have been changed to ensure anonymity.

  6. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a revival of clan and tribal idioms in Kyrgyzstani politics and culture (Collins 2006; Gullette 2006).

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Acknowledgments

The research project was funded by the British Academy (Grant No. 21410) and University of Kent Social Science Faculty Grant Committee. We are grateful to the Theory and Society Editors and referees for their constructive comments. Our thanks to Chris Pickvance, Jan Pahl, Vanessa Ruget, Elmira Satybaldieva, and Madeleine Reeves for their suggestions and advice. We would like to express our gratitude to the interviewees for their time, guidance, and patience. The usual disclaimers apply.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, Cornwallis North East, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NF, UK

    Balihar Sanghera

  2. Sociology Department, American University of Central Asia, 205 Abdymomunov St, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, 720040

    Mehrigiul Ablezova & Aisalkyn Botoeva

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  1. Balihar Sanghera
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  2. Mehrigiul Ablezova
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Correspondence to Balihar Sanghera.

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Sanghera, B., Ablezova, M. & Botoeva, A. Everyday morality in families and a critique of social capital: an investigation into moral judgements, responsibilities, and sentiments in Kyrgyzstani households. Theor Soc 40, 167–190 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-011-9138-4

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