ABSTRACT

Chapter 3 provides a first overview of potentials and types of contemporary intergenerational relations, drawing on the notion of the so-called ‘crisis of the family’. The chapter explores how many people actually have living family generations with which they could possibly interact. How common are multigenerational families, and how many respondents have living parents and children? A second immensely important prerequisite of direct interaction is geographical distance. Thirdly, obligations may play a relevant role, too. After discussing the potential for intergenerational family relationships, a general typology is introduced, identifying eight different types within four categories, based on summarised forms of intergenerational solidarity and conflict.