Teenage Grandchildren and Their Grandparents in Urban Switzerland Main Results of an Empirical Research Study among 12-16-years Old Grandchildren and Their Grandparents in Urban Regions of Switzerland Research Design

Children aged 12-16 years who live in three urban regions of Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich, urban Valais) were interviewed on their relationships to all surviving grandparents. In a second step, the grandparents of the grandchildren interviewed had to fill a questionnaire regarding their views on this intergenerational relationship. The main results of this study can be summarized as follow: a) Intergenerational contacts: The grandchildren interviewed have a lower frequency of personal contacts with grandparents as observed in other comparable studies in France, Germany or Austria. One reason for reduced contacts in urban Switzerland is the high proportion (37%) of grandparents living outside Switzerland (a result of high immigration rates). Many interviewed grandchildren wish for more contacts, and this is particularly the case when grandparents are living outside Switzerland. Different kinds of contacts (by person, telefon, E-mail) are positively intercorrelated, and electronic contacts do not have negative effects on personal contacts. Modern form of contacts (mobile phone, E-mail, SMS) are correlated with geographical proximity, indicating the development of new forms of intergenerational contacts that have no geographical and social limits (allowing teenagers to communicate with foreign grandparents without parents having any knowledge or control). The frequency of contacts – and particularly the use of modern forms of communications – is positively associated with the (perceived) health of grandparents. Cohort effects are also significant, and grandparents from younger cohorts have more digital contacts)