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The intergenerational transmission of educational attainment in East and West Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Riphahn, Regina T.

    (Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

  • Trübswetter, Parvati

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg, Germany)

Abstract

"Socialist societies often emphasized the abolition of traditional social classes. To achieve this objective, educational opportunities were at times 'actively managed' and allocated to children of less educated parents. What happened to these patterns after the demise of socialist rule in Eastern Europe? We study the development of educational mobility after the fall of the iron curtain in East Germany and compare the relevance of parental educational background for secondary schooling outcomes in East and West Germany. Based on data from the German Mikrozensus we find that educational mobility is lower in East than in West Germany and that it has been falling in East Germany after unification. While the educational advantage of girls declined over time, having many siblings presents a more substantial disadvantage in East than in West Germany." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Suggested Citation

  • Riphahn, Regina T. & Trübswetter, Parvati, 2011. "The intergenerational transmission of educational attainment in East and West Germany," IAB-Discussion Paper 201104, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    • Handle: RePEc:iab:iabdpa:201104
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zabel, Cordula, 2011. "Lone mothers' participation in labor market programs for means-tested benefit recipients in Germany," IAB-Discussion Paper 201114, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    2. Concetta Mendolicchio & Dimitri Paolini & Tito Pietra, 2014. "Income Taxes, Subsidies to Education, and Investments in Human Capital," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 16(1), pages 24-47, February.
    3. Sander Wagner, 2017. "Children of the Reunification: Gendered Effects on Intergenerational Mobility in Germany," Working Papers 2017-03, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    4. Drasch, Katrin, 2011. "Do changing institutional settings matter? : educational attainment and family related employment interruptions in Germany," IAB-Discussion Paper 201113, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    5. Regina T. Riphahn & Parvati Trübswetter, 2013. "The intergenerational transmission of education and equality of educational opportunity in East and West Germany," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(22), pages 3183-3196, August.
    6. Regina T. Riphahn & Parvati Trübswetter, 2011. "Die Veränderung der Bildungsmobilität in Ost- und Westdeutschland nach der Wiedervereinigung," ifo Dresden berichtet, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 18(06), pages 7-13, December.
    7. Jan Skopek & Thomas Leopold, 2020. "Educational Reproduction in Germany: A Prospective Study Based on Retrospective Data," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(4), pages 1241-1270, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bundesrepublik Deutschland ; Ostdeutschland ; Westdeutschland ; Bildungsmobilität ; Eltern ; Gymnasium ; Intergenerationsmobilität ; Kinder ; Qualifikationsniveau ; Schullaufbahnwahl ; 1991-2004;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts

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