Early Intergenerational Cohesiveness and Later Geographic Distance to Parents in the Netherlands

Brian J. Gillespie, University of California, Irvine
Tanja Van der Lippe, Utrecht University

Although spatial proximity no doubt facilitates interaction and assistance, no research to date has addressed the extent to which children who are emotionally closer to parents choose to live nearby. Using the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study, this research evaluates the relationship between early parent-child cohesion and later geographic distance between young adults and their parents. Importantly, this research is the first to consider the relationship between early intergenerational solidarity and young adult’s later geographic proximity to parents, proximity known to contribute to exchanges of support between the generations. For both mothers and fathers, each of the analyses yielded qualified evidence of the cohesion-proximity relationship. These findings highlight a potential selection issue related to intergenerational support and contact as it is facilitated by geographic proximity. Specifically, individuals who live closer to their parents have warmer relations with them earlier in life, which accounts for their geographic proximity in early adulthood.