Economic Socialization in Switzerland
The sociology of economics, of youth and of socialization have paid very little attention as yet to economic socialization. Taking into account the point of view of the ‘socialized’ themselves enables highlighting their active role in the process. The analysis of over 40 childhood and adolescence interviews of men and women from French-speaking Switzerland, between 25 and 40, shows three essential components of economic learning : parental education, selective observation and experimentation. Young people learn early on how to become careful consumers, managers and producers of money. The emphasis on values such as savings and work contributes to explain why Switzerland is a country where the household debt ratio is among the lowest in Europe.