The long-term effects of childhood residential mobility on social capital
Valente, Ricardo (Centre d'estudis demogràfics)
Vacchiano, Mattia (University of Geneva)
Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics

Date:	2026
Abstract:	When a child moves home multiple times, the consequences for the adult they will later become can be substantial. This study investigates how frequent relocations during childhood influence the development of social capital in adulthood. Using a combination of retrospective and longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of the Swiss population (N = 4,451), we examine how identity formation and the sense of agency jointly shape individuals' ability to sustain supportive networks over time. Results from structural equation modelling show that individuals who experienced frequent moves in childhood tend to identify less with the city, region, and country in which they live; yet this appears to have no direct consequences for their social capital. In contrast, they report a stronger sense of personal agency-defined as feeling more confident in addressing problems and making decisions-which, in turn, enhances their ability to maintain supportive networks. Overall, the findings highlight that residential mobility in childhood is a complex phenomenon that reshapes how individuals relate to the communities they belong to, to themselves, and to others across the life course.
Grants:	European Commission 101043981 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades RYC2023-043331-I
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Social capital ; Childhood ; Adulthood
Published in:	European Sociological Review, Gener 2026, ISSN 1468-2672

DOI: 10.1093/esr/jcag001

13 p, 670.0 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Centre for Demographic Studies (CED-CERCA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles