Samenvatting literatuur Familiesociologie
Week 1
Inleiding familiesociologie:
- McLanahan
Trouwen en scheiden:
- Kalmijn
Niet-traditionele gezinnen:
- Mazrekaj
- Harkönen
Week 2
Intergenerationele solidariteit:
- Steinbach & Silverstein
- Brandt & Deindl
Week 3
Fertiliteit:
- Jalovaara
- McDonald
Taakverdeling:
- Bittman
- Van der Vleuten
,Week 1
McLanahan : Diverging Destinies; how children are faring under the second demographic
transition
The first demographic transition: began in the early 1800’s and continued into the early
1900’s in Western industrialized countries. Mortality and fertility declined and investment in
child quality grew. Decline in mortality: fewer parents lost through death. Decline in fertility:
fewer siblings with whom to share resources. The growing concern about child quality
meant increased investment in public education society wide changes (for the rich and
poor).
The second demographic transition began around 1960. The primary trends of the second
transition include delays in fertility and marriage; increases in cohabitation, divorce, non
marital childbearing, and maternal employment. Fueled by a common factor: modernization/
women’s growing economic independence.
Highly educated women are responsible for the changes in family formation.
The forces that are driving the transition are leading to two different trajectories for women,
with different implications for children.
1) Delays in childbearing and increases in maternal employment
Reflects gains in resources
2) Divorce and nonmarital childbearing
Reflects losses of resources
The women with the most opportunities and resources are following the first trajectory,
whereas the women with the fewest opportunities and resources are following the second.
As a consequence, the second demographic transition is widening social-class disparities in
children’s resources. Children with most advantaged mothers are making substantial gains in
resources. stable unions, spending more time with father
Children with disadvantaged mothers are making smaller gains and are sometimes even
losing parental resources. unstable relationships
The growing disparity in children’s resources is related to 4 trends:
- The reemergence of the feminist movement (second wave)
- The development of new birth control technologies
- Changes in labor market conditions
- Changes in welfare state policies
Women from more advantaged backgrounds seized the new opportunities and moved ahead
quickly, whereas women from less advantaged backgrounds lagged behind.
Trends:
increase in mothers’ age is viewed as an increase in parental resources
increase in mothers’ employment represents a gain in children’s financial resources
children’s economic gains from maternal employment are not offset by the loss of their
mothers’ time
single motherhood is viewed as a loss in children’s resources (less stable and more
stressful, lower educational attainment/ poorer health) increase greatest among children in
the bottom quartile
, fathers’ involvement is expected to increase children’s exposure to cognitive stimulation
and warmth
assortative mating during the past four decades is likely to have exacerbated the growing
disparities in children’s resources
Demographic changes associated with increases in children’s resources (mothers
age/employment + fathers involvement) are happening the fastest among children in the top
socioeconomic strata, whereas the changes associated with decreases in resources (single
motherhood/ divorce) are happening the fastest among children in the bottom strata. This
leads to greater disparities in children’s resources.
International comparisons:
Single motherhood is the most common among mothers with the least education. The most
educated women in other Western countries are not choosing single motherhood over
shared parenting. Fathers in the top educational category are spending more time with their
children than fathers in the bottom category.
Disparities in other Western countries were similar to those in the US
Causes:
Second wave of feminism played an important role in promoting demographic changes
among women, especially in the top quartile. promoting independence and gender
equality. New birth control (1960) gave them the capacity to do so. Changes in labor market
conditions during the 1970s and 1980 explain the changes in demographic behavior as well;
because of the recession, low-skilled men became less “marriageable” and the increase in
wage inequality provided strong incentives for women to get a college education and enter
the labor force. Changes in welfare policies:
- The level of support
- Degree of income testing
Economic theory suggests that welfare will increase nonmarital childbearing by making it
easier for men to shirk their parental responsibilities.
Reasons to be concerned about changes
- Inequality may lead to social isolation/ exclusion
- High prevalence of single mothers may lead to social disorganization and isolation
What can be done?
subsidized childcare and preschools
Institute policies that hold men responsible for the children they sire (child support)
provide benefits that are based on the individual
improve communication skills within couples
Kalmijn : The educational gradient in marriage
Although the better-educated have always married later than others because of extrended
schooling and the tendency not to marry while in school, when the focus is on later ages, the
evidence seems to indicate that better-educated men and women in the US are now more
likely to live in a marital union than less-educated men and women. Some decades ago this
Week 1
Inleiding familiesociologie:
- McLanahan
Trouwen en scheiden:
- Kalmijn
Niet-traditionele gezinnen:
- Mazrekaj
- Harkönen
Week 2
Intergenerationele solidariteit:
- Steinbach & Silverstein
- Brandt & Deindl
Week 3
Fertiliteit:
- Jalovaara
- McDonald
Taakverdeling:
- Bittman
- Van der Vleuten
,Week 1
McLanahan : Diverging Destinies; how children are faring under the second demographic
transition
The first demographic transition: began in the early 1800’s and continued into the early
1900’s in Western industrialized countries. Mortality and fertility declined and investment in
child quality grew. Decline in mortality: fewer parents lost through death. Decline in fertility:
fewer siblings with whom to share resources. The growing concern about child quality
meant increased investment in public education society wide changes (for the rich and
poor).
The second demographic transition began around 1960. The primary trends of the second
transition include delays in fertility and marriage; increases in cohabitation, divorce, non
marital childbearing, and maternal employment. Fueled by a common factor: modernization/
women’s growing economic independence.
Highly educated women are responsible for the changes in family formation.
The forces that are driving the transition are leading to two different trajectories for women,
with different implications for children.
1) Delays in childbearing and increases in maternal employment
Reflects gains in resources
2) Divorce and nonmarital childbearing
Reflects losses of resources
The women with the most opportunities and resources are following the first trajectory,
whereas the women with the fewest opportunities and resources are following the second.
As a consequence, the second demographic transition is widening social-class disparities in
children’s resources. Children with most advantaged mothers are making substantial gains in
resources. stable unions, spending more time with father
Children with disadvantaged mothers are making smaller gains and are sometimes even
losing parental resources. unstable relationships
The growing disparity in children’s resources is related to 4 trends:
- The reemergence of the feminist movement (second wave)
- The development of new birth control technologies
- Changes in labor market conditions
- Changes in welfare state policies
Women from more advantaged backgrounds seized the new opportunities and moved ahead
quickly, whereas women from less advantaged backgrounds lagged behind.
Trends:
increase in mothers’ age is viewed as an increase in parental resources
increase in mothers’ employment represents a gain in children’s financial resources
children’s economic gains from maternal employment are not offset by the loss of their
mothers’ time
single motherhood is viewed as a loss in children’s resources (less stable and more
stressful, lower educational attainment/ poorer health) increase greatest among children in
the bottom quartile
, fathers’ involvement is expected to increase children’s exposure to cognitive stimulation
and warmth
assortative mating during the past four decades is likely to have exacerbated the growing
disparities in children’s resources
Demographic changes associated with increases in children’s resources (mothers
age/employment + fathers involvement) are happening the fastest among children in the top
socioeconomic strata, whereas the changes associated with decreases in resources (single
motherhood/ divorce) are happening the fastest among children in the bottom strata. This
leads to greater disparities in children’s resources.
International comparisons:
Single motherhood is the most common among mothers with the least education. The most
educated women in other Western countries are not choosing single motherhood over
shared parenting. Fathers in the top educational category are spending more time with their
children than fathers in the bottom category.
Disparities in other Western countries were similar to those in the US
Causes:
Second wave of feminism played an important role in promoting demographic changes
among women, especially in the top quartile. promoting independence and gender
equality. New birth control (1960) gave them the capacity to do so. Changes in labor market
conditions during the 1970s and 1980 explain the changes in demographic behavior as well;
because of the recession, low-skilled men became less “marriageable” and the increase in
wage inequality provided strong incentives for women to get a college education and enter
the labor force. Changes in welfare policies:
- The level of support
- Degree of income testing
Economic theory suggests that welfare will increase nonmarital childbearing by making it
easier for men to shirk their parental responsibilities.
Reasons to be concerned about changes
- Inequality may lead to social isolation/ exclusion
- High prevalence of single mothers may lead to social disorganization and isolation
What can be done?
subsidized childcare and preschools
Institute policies that hold men responsible for the children they sire (child support)
provide benefits that are based on the individual
improve communication skills within couples
Kalmijn : The educational gradient in marriage
Although the better-educated have always married later than others because of extrended
schooling and the tendency not to marry while in school, when the focus is on later ages, the
evidence seems to indicate that better-educated men and women in the US are now more
likely to live in a marital union than less-educated men and women. Some decades ago this
