Identity and Relations within Society: Th e Greek Experience in Australia*

Th is paper is both introduction to and review of sociological insights that have con-tributed to understanding social dynamics that give defi nition to the social model-ling of the Greek family in Australia. Th e paper concentrates on fi rst generation Greek-born migrants and their children. It will explain the use of network analysis that has been researched for the Greek community in Australia. Network analysis will then be compared to systems theory. Th e comparison favours the relevance of network analysis in making social sense of migrant family structure in Australia. In their respective studies of the Greek-Australian family, Bottomley (1975) and Mackie (1975) have used network analysis to describe either tight- or loose-knit networks that form from the relationship between the family and its social envi-ronment. As a conceptual approach for the Greek family in Australia, network analysis recognises the relationship of conjugal roles and how these roles can be aff ected by the social environment. Bottomley (1975) uses network analysis to evaluate how sex roles determine gender distinctions within the family. Th e formation of tight-knit family network