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Family inequality: On the changing educational gradient of family patterns in Western Germany
[journal article]
Abstract Objective: A comprehensive and thorough investigation of the key trends in family patterns in Western Germany. Methods: Descriptive analyses of educational differences in marital status, cohabitation, partnerlessness, and children in the household in Western Germany from 1976 to 2019. We analyze uni... view more
Objective: A comprehensive and thorough investigation of the key trends in family patterns in Western Germany. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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. Contribution: 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.... view less
Keywords
Federal Republic of Germany; family; marriage; spouse; partnership; choice of partner; divorce; level of education; longitudinal study; microcensus; social change; trend
Classification
Family Sociology, Sociology of Sexual Behavior
Free Keywords
census data; descriptive analysis; educational inequality; Mikrozensus 1976; Mikrozensus 1980; Mikrozensus 1985; Mikrozensus 1991; Mikrozensus 1995; Mikrozensus 2000; Mikrozensus 2005; Mikrozensus 2010; Mikrozensus 2015; Mikrozensus 2019
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 549-590
Journal
Demographic Research, 48 (2023) 20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2023.48.20
ISSN
1435-9871
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed