International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) Scientific Panel on Kinship Structures, Dynamics and Inequalities
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR), June 08–09, 2026

*** Scope ***

Family structures, broadly defined, have experienced radical changes around the globe. This conference will bring together scholars from various disciplines to consider how large-scale sociodemographic shifts reshape family systems within and beyond the household and how these changes contribute to, reproduce, or mitigate social and economic inequality. Whereas family research has long centered on partnerships and co-residential nuclear kin, studies of kinship emphasize the often-overlooked importance of extended and non-co-resident relatives such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other ‘chosen kin.’

*** We invite contributions that address topics including (but not limited to):

- Kin availability, inequality, and geographic distribution of kin
- Kin relations over the life course
- Caregiving, resource exchanges, and intergenerational transfers
- Bereavement and health from a kinship perspective
- Policy responses to kin availability
- Non-biological and fictive kinship
- LGBTQ+ kinship
- Innovative data, methods, and theoretical frameworks to study kinship

*** Submission Guidelines ***

Submissions must include a two-page extended abstract in PDF format. Abstracts should outline clearly the project title, authors’ name(s), affiliation(s), contact information of the presenting author, research question, data/methods, and expected contribution.

Please submit your work via survey by 21 January 2026. The selected submissions will be invited for an oral or poster presentation at the conference. Presenting authors are expected to register by 10 March to confirm their intention to attend and present.

There are no registration fees, and the organizers will provide a limited number of grants to cover travel and/or accommodation.

*** Important Dates ***

)) Submission Deadline: January 21, 2026
)) Notification of acceptance: February 10, 2026
)) Registration Deadline: March 10, 2026
)) Program release: May 18, 2026
)) Symposium Dates: June 8-9, 2026

*** Organizers and Funders ***

International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) Scientific Panel on Kinship Structures, Dynamics and Inequalities; Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR); New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi; the Pennsylvania State University, Collaborative on Population Aging Disparities; and the National University of Singapore.

The organizing committee includes the following individuals from the MPIDR: Saroja Adhikari, Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, Andrea Colasurdo, Sha Jiang, Amanda Martins, and Elena Pojman. Organizers also include the following members of the steering committee of the IUSSP Panel on Kinship Structures, Dynamics and Inequalities: Bettina Hünteler (German Institute for Economic Research, DIW Berlin), Luca Maria Pesando (NYU Abu Dhabi), Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan (National University of Singapore), and Ashton Verdery (Pennsylvania State University).

*** Call for Papers ***

Kinship Structures, Dynamics, and Inequalities (PDF File, 136 kB)

*** Contact ***

kinship@demogr.mpg.de.