Long-term trends in intergenerational proximity: Evidence from a grandchild design

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Demography
• Family Studies

Background:

• Debates persist on historical changes in geographic distance between parents and adult children.
• Modernization theory suggests increased distance, while others emphasize stable local family ties despite reduced co-residence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate long-term changes in intergenerational proximity in the Netherlands.
• To identify factors contributing to shifts in geographic distance between parents and adult children.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel research design employing grandchildren's reports to assess historical intergenerational proximity.
• Conducted mediation analyses to explore causal factors behind observed changes.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a consistent decline in intergenerational proximity from the 1940s to the 1990s.
• Identified educational expansion and urbanization as primary drivers of this decline.
• Found no significant role for secularization or international migration in reducing proximity.
• Observed a slightly greater decline in proximity for women compared to men.

Conclusions:

• Intergenerational proximity has significantly decreased over the past half-century in the Netherlands.
• Socioeconomic and demographic shifts, particularly education and urbanization, are key determinants of changing family proximity.
• Findings challenge simple modernization hypotheses and highlight the complex interplay of factors influencing family spatial arrangements.