In order to detect changes in social connectivity, we examined evolutions in the personal
network structure by analyzing over-time trends in the composition of the population’s
core discussion networks on four crosssectional, nationally representative surveys
between 1997 and 2015, in the era of post-communism, in Hungary. There has been a
very significant change; in fact, a reversal of trends regarding the composition of
the core discussion networks (CDNs) concerning kin and non-kin ties over the past
decades. Our data suggest that friendship ties gained more importance. There seems
to be a generation-specific aspect of the change: young people include family ties
less often than older people and this effect strengthens over time. Women still have
a higher ratio of kin ties compared to men and this effect does not change significantly
during the analyzed period.
