Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Are educational outcomes subject to a "grandparent effect"? We comprehensively and critically review the growing literature on this question. Fifty-eight percent of 69 analyses report that grandparents’ (G1) socioeconomic characteristics are associated with children’s (G3) educational outc...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Society for Sociological Science
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Sociological Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.sociologicalscience.com/articles-v5-114/ |
| _version_ | 1818553552721674240 |
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| author | Lewis R. Anderson Paula Sheppard Christiaan W. S. Monden |
| author_facet | Lewis R. Anderson Paula Sheppard Christiaan W. S. Monden |
| author_sort | Lewis R. Anderson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Are educational outcomes subject to a "grandparent effect"? We comprehensively and critically review the growing literature on this question. Fifty-eight percent of 69 analyses report that grandparents’ (G1) socioeconomic characteristics are associated with children’s (G3) educational outcomes, independently of the characteristics of parents (G2). This is not clearly patterned by study characteristics, except sample size. The median ratio of G2:G1 strength of association with outcomes is 4.1, implying that grandparents matter around a quarter as much as parents for education. On average, 30 percent of the bivariate G1–G3 association remains once G2 information is included. Grandparents appear to be especially important where G2 socioeconomic resources are low, supporting the compensation hypothesis. We further discuss whether particular grandparents matter, the role of assortative mating, and the hypothesis that G1–G3 associations should be stronger where there is (more) G1–G3 contact, for which repeated null findings are reported. We recommend that measures of social origin include information on grandparents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:27:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-302265d964434b858910801c16010c77 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2330-6696 2330-6696 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:27:20Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Society for Sociological Science |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sociological Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-302265d964434b858910801c16010c772022-12-22T00:28:59ZengSociety for Sociological ScienceSociological Science2330-66962330-66962018-02-015611414210.15195/v5.a6Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic ReviewLewis R. Anderson0Paula Sheppard1Christiaan W. S. Monden2University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordUniversity of OxfordAre educational outcomes subject to a "grandparent effect"? We comprehensively and critically review the growing literature on this question. Fifty-eight percent of 69 analyses report that grandparents’ (G1) socioeconomic characteristics are associated with children’s (G3) educational outcomes, independently of the characteristics of parents (G2). This is not clearly patterned by study characteristics, except sample size. The median ratio of G2:G1 strength of association with outcomes is 4.1, implying that grandparents matter around a quarter as much as parents for education. On average, 30 percent of the bivariate G1–G3 association remains once G2 information is included. Grandparents appear to be especially important where G2 socioeconomic resources are low, supporting the compensation hypothesis. We further discuss whether particular grandparents matter, the role of assortative mating, and the hypothesis that G1–G3 associations should be stronger where there is (more) G1–G3 contact, for which repeated null findings are reported. We recommend that measures of social origin include information on grandparents.https://www.sociologicalscience.com/articles-v5-114/GrandparentsEducationMultigenerational MobilitySocial MobilitySocial StratificationIntergenerational Transmission |
| spellingShingle | Lewis R. Anderson Paula Sheppard Christiaan W. S. Monden Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic Review Sociological Science Grandparents Education Multigenerational Mobility Social Mobility Social Stratification Intergenerational Transmission |
| title | Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic Review |
| title_full | Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic Review |
| title_fullStr | Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic Review |
| title_short | Grandparent Effects on Educational Outcomes: A Systematic Review |
| title_sort | grandparent effects on educational outcomes a systematic review |
| topic | Grandparents Education Multigenerational Mobility Social Mobility Social Stratification Intergenerational Transmission |
| url | https://www.sociologicalscience.com/articles-v5-114/ |
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