Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany
<b>Objective</b>: A comprehensive and thorough investigation of the key trends in family patterns in Western Germany. <b>Methods</b>: Descriptive analyses of educational differences in marital status, cohabitation, partnerlessness, and children in the household in Western...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Demographic Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.demographic-research.org/articles/volume/48/20 |
| _version_ | 1797739382270066688 |
|---|---|
| author | Ansgar Hudde Henriette Engelhardt |
| author_facet | Ansgar Hudde Henriette Engelhardt |
| author_sort | Ansgar Hudde |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Objective</b>: A comprehensive and thorough investigation of the key trends in family patterns in Western Germany. <b>Methods</b>: Descriptive analyses of educational differences in marital status, cohabitation, partnerlessness, and children in the household in Western Germany from 1976 to 2019. We analyze unique data from the German Microcensus with information from more than 1.7 million individuals. <b>Results</b>: In the 1970s, men with higher education were moderately more likely to live with a partner and be married, and less likely to be divorced. The reverse was mainly the case for women. Over time, higher education levels for men and women became increasingly associated with living with a partner, being married, and living with children; lower levels of education became increasingly associated with divorce, partnerlessness, and single parenthood. Today, men with lower levels of education are least likely to live with a partner, be married, or have children in the household. Women with lower education levels are most likely to be single parents. <b>Conclusions</b>: Education is turning more and more into a generalized life resource: those with higher education are not only the winners in the labor market but are also increasingly more likely to achieve those partnership and family outcomes to which the majority of young people aspire - a stable partnership and children. <b>Contribution</b>: This 'big picture' analysis deepens our understanding of changes in family-related social inequalities in Germany. Analyses based on high-quality data have not been available for Germany and can serve as bases for future research at the granular level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-005845ea62e540378482dfcf0680f716 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1435-9871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Demographic Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-005845ea62e540378482dfcf0680f7162023-08-22T11:19:16ZengMax Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchDemographic Research1435-98712023-04-01482010.4054/DemRes.2023.48.205469Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western GermanyAnsgar Hudde0Henriette Engelhardt1Universität zu KölnOtto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg<b>Objective</b>: A comprehensive and thorough investigation of the key trends in family patterns in Western Germany. <b>Methods</b>: Descriptive analyses of educational differences in marital status, cohabitation, partnerlessness, and children in the household in Western Germany from 1976 to 2019. We analyze unique data from the German Microcensus with information from more than 1.7 million individuals. <b>Results</b>: In the 1970s, men with higher education were moderately more likely to live with a partner and be married, and less likely to be divorced. The reverse was mainly the case for women. Over time, higher education levels for men and women became increasingly associated with living with a partner, being married, and living with children; lower levels of education became increasingly associated with divorce, partnerlessness, and single parenthood. Today, men with lower levels of education are least likely to live with a partner, be married, or have children in the household. Women with lower education levels are most likely to be single parents. <b>Conclusions</b>: Education is turning more and more into a generalized life resource: those with higher education are not only the winners in the labor market but are also increasingly more likely to achieve those partnership and family outcomes to which the majority of young people aspire - a stable partnership and children. <b>Contribution</b>: This 'big picture' analysis deepens our understanding of changes in family-related social inequalities in Germany. Analyses based on high-quality data have not been available for Germany and can serve as bases for future research at the granular level.https://www.demographic-research.org/articles/volume/48/20 |
| spellingShingle | Ansgar Hudde Henriette Engelhardt Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany Demographic Research |
| title | Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany |
| title_full | Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany |
| title_fullStr | Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany |
| title_short | Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany |
| title_sort | family inequality on the changing educational gradient of family patterns in western germany |
| url | https://www.demographic-research.org/articles/volume/48/20 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ansgarhudde familyinequalityonthechangingeducationalgradientoffamilypatternsinwesterngermany AT henrietteengelhardt familyinequalityonthechangingeducationalgradientoffamilypatternsinwesterngermany |