Drawing on five years of ethnographic fieldwork among older adults in a New York City neighborhood, I present empirical data that complement survey approaches to social isolation and push our understanding of social ties beyond weak and strong by analyzing relationships that defy binary classification. Usual survey items would describe these participants as isolated and without social support. When questioned, they minimize neighborhood relationships outside of close friends and family. But ethnographic observations of their social interactions with neighbors reveal the presence of “elastic ties.” By elastic ties, I mean nonstrong, nonweak relations between people who spend hours each day and share intimate details of their lives with those whom they do not consider “confidants.” Nonetheless, they provide each other with the support and practical assistance typically seen in strong-tie relationships. These findings show how people’s accounts may not accurately reflect the character and structure of their social ties. Furthermore, they demonstrate how a single social tie can vary between strong and weak depending on the social situation. Many social ties fall outside weak and strong; they are elastic in allowing elders (and other marginal groups) to connect and secure informal support while maintaining their distance and preserving their autonomy.

中文翻译：

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关于弹性纽带：社会关系中的距离和亲密关系

借助纽约市附近老年人中五年的人种志田野调查，我提供了经验数据，这些数据补充了社会隔离的调查方法，并通过分析违反二元分类的关系，将我们对社会联系的理解推到了弱与强之间。通常的调查项目会将这些参与者描述为孤立的人，没有社会支持。当受到质疑时，他们将亲朋好友以外的邻居关系减至最少。但是人种学对他们与邻居的社会互动的观察揭示了“弹性纽带”的存在。所谓弹性纽带，是指每天花费数小时并与不视为“知己”的人分享生活细节的人们之间的牢固，无微弱的关系。尽管如此，他们相互之间提供了牢固关系中通常具有的支持和实际帮助。这些发现表明人们的账目可能无法准确反映其社会关系的特征和结构。此外，他们展示了一个单一的社会纽带如何根据社会状况在强者和弱者之间变化。许多社会联系不属于强者和弱者。他们有弹性，可以让老年人（和其他边缘群体）建立联系并获得非正式支持，同时保持他们的距离并保持他们的自主权。许多社会纽带不属于强者和弱者。他们有弹性，可以让老年人（和其他边缘群体）建立联系并获得非正式支持，同时保持他们的距离并保持他们的自主权。许多社会纽带不属于强者和弱者。他们有弹性，可以让老年人（和其他边缘群体）建立联系并获得非正式支持，同时保持他们的距离并保持他们的自主权。