Four Neighbor Types – The neighborhood is cultivated, but not excessively – News

  • Most people in Switzerland maintain a rather distanced relationship with their neighbors.
  • They still trust them. This is the finding of a study published on Tuesday.

In the “Hello neighbor*in” study by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI), only 12 percent of those surveyed said they knew their neighbors very well. According to their own statements, three quarters of those surveyed feel very safe in their neighborhood and almost nobody is dissatisfied with their relationship with their neighbours.

This is also reflected in everyday gestures: 67 percent lend food ingredients or tools to neighbors. 48 percent water plants and 26 percent occasionally look after children or neighbors’ pets.

Four different types


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The authors of the study divide the respondents into four types: According to the survey, almost half of the respondents, namely 47 percent, belong to the «distanced»: You don’t want to be disturbed or a burden. If they need something, they help themselves. However, they are there in an emergency.

The study described another 30 percent as «inspiration seekers»: For them, tolerance and stimulating encounters are paramount. You value collective action and diversity.

The group of «relationship maintainer», who strive for a friendly relationship in a homogeneous neighborhood.

And only about 10 percent «value-oriented» reportedly want to live among like-minded people with whom they share similar values. Instead of close relationships, however, the members of this group also want respectful distance and considerate interaction.

The study also shows that the concept of neighborhood is broader in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino than in German-speaking Switzerland. 59 percent of the German-speaking Swiss only count their immediate neighbors in the house or in the surrounding houses as neighbours.

In contrast, in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland, the term includes the entire neighborhood for 33 and 37 percent respectively. In German-speaking Switzerland, only 17 percent expressed the same opinion.

The frequency of contact with their neighbors is just right for them, according to 81 percent of those surveyed. 16 percent wanted more contact, 2 percent less.

Neighbor ≠ Voisin ≠ Vicino

However, there are differences depending on the language region and type of settlement. A quarter of people in cities would like more contact with their neighbours. Romands more often feel the need for more contact than people in other language regions.

The GDI study was commissioned by the Migros Culture Percentage. On the one hand, it is based on interviews, on the other hand, 1021 people between the ages of 15 and 79 from all language regions were surveyed online.

The pandemic only had a limited impact

Based on the answers from the interviews, the authors of the study come to the conclusion that the corona pandemic has not fundamentally changed neighborhood relationships: With the end of the corona restrictions, the hectic everyday life and thus non-binding nature have returned.

However, the study sees a short-term change: In the days of homeschooling, screaming, playing children were more accepted: “Pragmatic and maximally tolerant.”

The Axa insurance company painted a slightly different picture last week: Between 2019 and 2020, inquiries about neighborhood disputes increased by a quarter, she said. The pandemic did not spark new sources of fire. However, disruptive factors were noticed more because everyone was at home more often.

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