GenFam – (Un)changing Gender Relations, Family Dynamics, and Fertility in Switzerland from a Comparative Perspective – is a four-year interdisciplinary research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF, 2026–2030). It examines how family diversity, gender relations, and fertility are evolving in Switzerland and across Europe, responding to three interconnected societal challenges: the diversification of family forms, persistent gender inequalities in paid and unpaid work, and sustained low fertility combined with delayed parenthood.
To address these issues, GenFam is participating in the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP) for the first time and collects – together with the Swiss Center for Data and Service for the Social Science (FORS) – longitudinal data through the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS). These data will allow researchers to examine key aspects of family and social life, including life-course transitions, partnership and family dynamics, gendered divisions of labour, fertility intentions and outcomes, and intergenerational relationships, from a cross-national comparative perspective. By combining this large-scale quantitative survey data with a comprehensive qualitative policy analysis, the project aims to provide new insights into how institutional contexts, cultural norms, and individual life trajectories interact to shape family behaviour and gender relations in contemporary Switzerland, and whether the country is ultimately prepared to respond to these pressing societal challenges.
News
First data collection successfully completed
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