Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.

This study adopts a socio-ecological approach to examine multiple factors and processes assumed to shape the intergenerational transmission of social disadvantage, including influences of social change, social causation and social selection. Moving beyond approaches focusing on cumulative risk indic...

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Main Authors: Ingrid Schoon, Gabriella Melis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2019-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214801
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author Ingrid Schoon
Gabriella Melis
author_facet Ingrid Schoon
Gabriella Melis
author_sort Ingrid Schoon
collection DOAJ
description This study adopts a socio-ecological approach to examine multiple factors and processes assumed to shape the intergenerational transmission of social disadvantage, including influences of social change, social causation and social selection. Moving beyond approaches focusing on cumulative risk indices, this study uses latent class analysis to examine how different socio-economic and psycho-social risk factors combine within families and to what extent and how constellations of risk are transmitted from one generation to the next. We draw on data collected for the longitudinal and national representative 1970 British Cohort Study, comprising information on more than 11,000 cohort members and their parents. We identified four distinct risk configurations among the parent generation (G1): low-risk families (57.6%), high-risk families (16.3%), high-risk single-parents (24%) and ethnic minority families (2.1%). Within their offspring (G2) we identified five distinct risk configurations: low-risk families (62%), low-risk no-children (15.1%), moderate-risk single parents (10.1%), moderate-risk large families (8.9%), high socio-economic and high psycho-social risk (4%). There is evidence of structural mobility, and the findings suggest that intergenerational transmission of disadvantage is not just a systemic tendency towards social reproduction, but also reflects processes of social change and social selection. We conclude that a socio-ecological model provides a useful framework for a more comprehensive understanding of the multiple processes involved in the transmission of inter-cohort inequality.
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spelling doaj.art-6c0f452d007a492c886d527698caecee2023-10-12T05:31:54ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01144e021480110.1371/journal.pone.0214801Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.Ingrid SchoonGabriella MelisThis study adopts a socio-ecological approach to examine multiple factors and processes assumed to shape the intergenerational transmission of social disadvantage, including influences of social change, social causation and social selection. Moving beyond approaches focusing on cumulative risk indices, this study uses latent class analysis to examine how different socio-economic and psycho-social risk factors combine within families and to what extent and how constellations of risk are transmitted from one generation to the next. We draw on data collected for the longitudinal and national representative 1970 British Cohort Study, comprising information on more than 11,000 cohort members and their parents. We identified four distinct risk configurations among the parent generation (G1): low-risk families (57.6%), high-risk families (16.3%), high-risk single-parents (24%) and ethnic minority families (2.1%). Within their offspring (G2) we identified five distinct risk configurations: low-risk families (62%), low-risk no-children (15.1%), moderate-risk single parents (10.1%), moderate-risk large families (8.9%), high socio-economic and high psycho-social risk (4%). There is evidence of structural mobility, and the findings suggest that intergenerational transmission of disadvantage is not just a systemic tendency towards social reproduction, but also reflects processes of social change and social selection. We conclude that a socio-ecological model provides a useful framework for a more comprehensive understanding of the multiple processes involved in the transmission of inter-cohort inequality.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214801
spellingShingle Ingrid Schoon
Gabriella Melis
Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.
PLoS ONE
title Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.
title_full Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.
title_fullStr Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.
title_full_unstemmed Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.
title_short Intergenerational transmission of family adversity: Examining constellations of risk factors.
title_sort intergenerational transmission of family adversity examining constellations of risk factors
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214801
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