European Sociological Review - current issue

Social Trust and Fractionalization: A Possible Reinterpretation

Bjornskov, C. — 2008-07-02

This paper takes a closer look at the importance of fractionalization for the creation of social trust. It first argues that the determinants of trust can be divided into two categories: those affecting individuals’ trust radii and those affecting social polarization. A series of estimates using a much larger country sample than in previous literature confirms that fractionalization in the form of income inequality and political diversity adversely affects social trust while ethnic diversity does not. However, these effects differ systematically across countries, questioning standard interpretations of the influence of fractionalization on trust.

Equalizing or Not? The Effect of Changing Household Characteristics on Income Inequality

Albertini, M. — 2008-07-02

Among the various factors which have been explored to explain differences and trends in income inequality, there is one which has received relatively little attention: differences and changes in household characteristics. Using the data from the Bank of Italy Survey of Household Income and Wealth, this article examines the relationship between family demographic and economic characteristics and income inequality. More precisely, it analyses how much and in which direction (boosting vs. containing) recent changes in household forms have affected the level of income inequality in Italy. The analysis shows that the equalizing power of Italian families has decreased in recent decades, and that the most recent changes in household forms do not have a clear equalizing effect. On the other hand, it is also found that the relevance of income differences between household forms in determining the level of income inequality is on the increase.

Is There a New Service Proletariat? Post-industrial Employment Growth and Social Inequality in Spain

Bernardi, F., Garrido, L. — 2008-07-02

In Spain the absolute number of employed persons has increased from about 12,300,000 persons in 1994 to 19,300,000 at the end of 2005. In the same period, the number of immigrants has increased from about 500,000 to more than 4 million. The aim of this paper is to analyse the implications of these changes for social inequality. In particular, we investigate whether a new type of unskilled service class is likely to emerge as a distinct social class. We address this issue by means of three more specific research questions. The first one refers to the pattern of changes in the employment structure by occupational class: has the mentioned employment growth implied an expansion of the swelling service proletariat? The other two questions refer to the issue of demographic class formation: which is the composition of the class structure by gender and country of origin? And, are unskilled service occupations stop-gaps springboards towards better positions, or are they long-term traps? We answer these questions by means of a dynamic analysis of the panel data of the Spanish Labour Force Surveys (SLFS). We study trends over time in the class structure and, then, analyse upward mobility chances and the risk of falling into unemployment from unskilled occupations from year t to year t + 1.

Early Retirement in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom: A Longitudinal Analysis of Individual Factors and Institutional Regimes

Schils, T. — 2008-07-02

In this article we investigate whether early retirement patterns vary between countries with distinct early retirement systems. By choosing countries that differ not only with respect to the coverage and generosity of publicly provided pensions but also with respect to the extent to which the state interferes in the non-public pillars of pension provision, we analyse to what extent such issues have an effect on individual early retirement behaviour. Selectivity effects are expected to be stronger in countries with highly fragmented public systems or private early retirement schemes. By pursuing a shift to more private pension provisions, governments might unintentionally create more inequality in early retirement opportunities among the population. For the analysis we use longitudinal data, i.e. British Household Panel Study (BHPS) 1991–2004 (the United Kingdom), the German Socia-Economic Panel (GSOEP) 1990–2005 (Germany, and the Socia-Economics Panel (SEP) 1990–2001 (Netherlands) and a discrete-time competing-risks model. The results suggest that pursuing a shift from public to private early retirement schemes can lower the incidence of early retirement. Yet, at the same time, early retirement can get more selective in that only the higher paid are able to afford it.

Finding Their Way? Female Employment Patterns in West Germany, East Germany, and Poland

Matysiak, A., Steinmetz, S. — 2008-07-02

The aim of this article is to examine how (i) children and (ii) the existence and potential earnings of husbands affect women's employment patterns in West Germany, East Germany, and Poland. In particular, it assesses whether employment patterns in East Germany and Poland resemble those exhibited in West Germany after the collapse of the socialist regime. Given the considerable changes to labour market and family policies experienced by post-socialist countries that have resulted in an increased conflict between family and work, this is an important area of research. In the post-socialist countries, we find differences in female employment patterns compared to West Germany, expressed in the lower magnitude of child and husband effects. We argue that women in Poland and East Germany are going their own way, rejecting the ‘male breadwinner’ model, and only partly adjusting their behaviour to changing structural conditions.

Does Union Dissolution Lead to Unemployment? A Longitudinal Study of Health and Risk of Unemployment for Women and Men Undergoing Separation

Covizzi, I. — 2008-07-02

Research on the socio-economic consequences of divorce or union dissolution has largely focused on women's loss of income after separation. Scant attention has been paid to the effects of union dissolution on individuals’ employment. Expanding the literature on the interlocked effects of divorce and health on labour market outcomes, the aim of this paper is to examine the consequences of union dissolution on employment for both women and men. The data on which this study is based are drawn from the Swiss Household Panel (SHP) study. Using Cox proportional hazards regression models, I estimate the effects of union disruption on unemployment for employed men and women in a marriage or cohabitating union over the period of 1999–2004. Findings indicate that individuals whose unions end are at a greater risk of unemployment compared to their married/cohabiting counterparts. Results also suggest the presence of relevant gender differences in the ways in which women and men experience union dissolution in relation to their labour market position. Men's hazard of unemployment is higher than that of their female counterparts, even after controlling for crucial gendered variables.

The Determinants of Women's Employment Dynamics: The Case of Israeli Women

Stier, H., Yaish, M. — 2008-07-02

The dynamic of Israeli women's labour market experiences is analysed, with the focus on three main determinants of their attachment to the labour market: (i) family events, particularly the effect and timing of childbirth on women's market involvement, (ii) human capital, and (iii) structural determinants, including occupation, and sector of employment. Utilizing data from the 2001 mobility study in Israel, which is a retrospective longitudinal survey, we employed event history techniques to examine women's likelihood to leave and re-enter the labour market. As expected, childbirth proved to increase the likelihood of work withdrawal, and human capital reinforced women's attachment to paid employment. Structural characteristics of the labour market, especially employment in the public sector, provided women with the necessary conditions to maintain continuous employment, even when family responsibilities were high, and to resume working sooner than women employed in a less supportive environment. Implications are discussed, and several avenues for further research suggested.

Schools as Mediators of Neighbourhood Effects on Choice Between Vocational and Academic Tracks of Secondary Education in Helsinki

Kauppinen, T. M. — 2008-07-02

Studies of neighbourhood effects on educational attainment have generally found that such effects exist. However, two deficiencies are common in these studies: a lack of information on the mechanisms of neighbourhood effects and lack of information on multiple contexts. These deficiencies are addressed in this article by using school data to gain further knowledge of the mechanism of an observed neighbourhood effect on young people's education in Helsinki, Finland. The results show that the effect of neighbourhood's educational composition on educational choice is for a large part mediated by school's socioeconomic composition. This indicates that the neighbourhood effect operates through the school context. Schools are also independently associated with educational choice. While the neighbourhood effect is a non-linear top-end effect, the school's socioeconomic composition has a linear association with educational choice, which leads to different kinds of political implications.

Remarriage as a Way to Overcome the Financial Consequences of Divorce--A Test of the Economic Need Hypothesis for European Women

Dewilde, C., Uunk, W. — 2008-07-02

In this article, we investigate to what extent remarriage functions as a strategy to overcome post-divorce financial distress, and whether this varies across welfare states. To this end, we estimate the impact of divorced women's income (changes) on repartnering and vice versa, using longitudinal data from the European Community Household Panel for 11 Member States. Our analyses provide support for the economic need hypothesis. An income decline immediately following divorce increases the likelihood of remarriage for women who had a low income before divorce. Repartnering itself has a positive effect on income, yet this positive effect is not stronger for women who fared economically worse with divorce. Our analyses do not confirm the contextual hypothesis that in countries where the sources of economic independence for women are less readily available, repartnering is a more important route out of poverty than elsewhere. Yet, we do find that in high-welfare countries social welfare reliance delays remarriage more than in low-welfare countries.

Pieter Vanhuysse: Divide and Pacify: Strategic Social Policies and Political Protests in Post-Communist Democracies.

Ringen, S. — 2008-07-02