Cocon: Kohorte 2: Befragung zu Lebensverhältnissen, Lebenserfahrungen und psychosozialer Entwicklung - 2006-2012

Abstract

The representative and interdisciplinary longitudinal study COCON (acronym for "Competence and Context"), supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, examines the process of growing up and competence development of more than 3.000 children and adolescents in the German- and French-speaking part of Switzerland (Buchmann, Fend, 2004). COCON's goal is to investigate the complex interaction between social contexts, competence development and coping with early life course transitions (e.g., school entry, transitions to secondary education, to occupational training and to employment). The following aspects are thus at the core of the project:
• Socialization contexts (family, school, friends, leisure/media)
• Institutionalized (status) transitions in the life course
• Individual competence development
COCON investigates three cohorts, representing three prototypical stages of growing up: 6-year olds (mid childhood – first cohort), 15-year olds (mid adolescence – second cohort) and 21-year olds (early adulthood – third cohort). For the 6- and 15-year olds primary caregivers and teachers are also surveyed. We shall continue to follow up the two younger cohorts (6- and 15-year olds in 2006) within the framework of the representative longitudinal study. So far, five survey waves have been conducted. In 2012, the 12-year olds of the first cohort made the transition from primary to secondary schooling. More than half of the 21-year olds of the second cohort mastered the transition to the labour market. Most of the other half is attending higher education. Educational trajectories of young adults are highly variegated, thus influencing young people's competence development in varied ways. Further information and results can be found on: www.cocon.uzh.ch. Since December 2013 the COCON data from the first three survey waves are available as scientific use files.