Daughter, son, mother, father. What is the relationship between adults and their parents ? What role do tensions and conflicts play ? How strong are cohesion and support ? This book is dedicated to the relationships between adults and their parents in all their essential facets. The findings are based on the nationwide SwissGen study. It examines current relationships with living parents and past ties to mothers and fathers who have passed away.

The first part of the book is about ambivalence, stress, quarrel and distance. These include mixed and changing feelings, worries and burdens, tension and conflict, indifference and estrangement. The second part deals with attachment, space, time and money. This comprises emotional closeness and contact, coresidence and proximity, help and care, current transfers and inheritances.

The study was conducted under the direction of Marc Szydlik at the Department of Sociology at the University of Zurich. The contributions are from Ronny König, Bettina Isengard, Klaus Haberkern, Christoph Zangger, Tamara Bosshardt and Marc Szydlik.