On the road to success? The intergen erational transmission of disadvantage through the transition to adulthood

TY - CHAP

T1 - On the road to success? The intergen erational transmission of disadvantage through the transition to adulthood

AU - Mooyaart, J.E.

AU - Liefbroer, A.C.

AU - Billari, F.C.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - How does the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage come about? This study aims to broaden our understanding by examining the extent to which income trajectories in later stages of young adulthood are influenced by the work- and family-related pathways young people take into adulthood. The transition to adulthood is a demographically dense period, in which individuals make important decisions regarding their future career and family life, which in turn are likely to have a large impact on their future earnings. This study assesses to what extent the influence of family background, in terms of parental income, education, family structure and race, is mediated by the career and demographic pathways that youths choose during the transition to adulthood. It is examined to what extent incomes diverge between those opting for different pathways to adulthood and whether within groups choosing for the same pathway to adulthood, family background remains to have an influenceon these income trajectories. This study uses panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youths of 1997 (N=4966). Sequence analysis is used to define different career (based on education and employment) and demographic pathways (based on household, relationship and parenthood status) between age 17 and 25, separately for men and women. The family background variables and the different clusters are included as categorical variables in a growth curve model, with annual income between age 25 and 32 as thedependent variable. Results indicate that the effects of family background variables mostly disappear once the career and demographic clusters are included. Career pathways appear to be more important in explaining differences in income trajectories in early adulthood than demographic pathways. Incomes diverge for individuals who are in career clusters withlonger college enrollment compared to those who are in clusters that have little college education.

AB - How does the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage come about? This study aims to broaden our understanding by examining the extent to which income trajectories in later stages of young adulthood are influenced by the work- and family-related pathways young people take into adulthood. The transition to adulthood is a demographically dense period, in which individuals make important decisions regarding their future career and family life, which in turn are likely to have a large impact on their future earnings. This study assesses to what extent the influence of family background, in terms of parental income, education, family structure and race, is mediated by the career and demographic pathways that youths choose during the transition to adulthood. It is examined to what extent incomes diverge between those opting for different pathways to adulthood and whether within groups choosing for the same pathway to adulthood, family background remains to have an influenceon these income trajectories. This study uses panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youths of 1997 (N=4966). Sequence analysis is used to define different career (based on education and employment) and demographic pathways (based on household, relationship and parenthood status) between age 17 and 25, separately for men and women. The family background variables and the different clusters are included as categorical variables in a growth curve model, with annual income between age 25 and 32 as thedependent variable. Results indicate that the effects of family background variables mostly disappear once the career and demographic clusters are included. Career pathways appear to be more important in explaining differences in income trajectories in early adulthood than demographic pathways. Incomes diverge for individuals who are in career clusters withlonger college enrollment compared to those who are in clusters that have little college education.

M3 - Contribution to conference proceedings

SP - 275

EP - 332

BT - Proceedings of International Conference on Sequence Analysis and Related Methods (LaCOSA II)

A2 - Ritschard, G.

A2 - Studer, M.

PB - Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research and Swiss National Science Foundation

CY - Lausanne

ER -