The Attitudes towards the Euro: An Empirical Study Based on the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP)

This paper investigates the attitudes towards the Euro and their changes over time in Germany by using longitudinal micro data from the German Socio Economic Panel Study (SOEP). We observe that a large part of the German population was worried about the new currency before its implementation. Individual changes of worries can be explained by theories of self-perception and cognitive dissonance. According to these theories, concerns should diminish after the Euro notes and coins are distributed. In contrast, the theory of reactance predicts an increase, while the theories of attitude changes as learning processes offer both its increase and decrease. The latter seems to be the most suitable explanation for the development of concerns about the Euro. We discover that problems with the handling of the new money and the time of questioning are strong predictors. The time pattern goes hand in hand with the time of press coverage on price rises. As worries are connected with problems in handling the new money, future member states of the European Monetary Union should prepare their population in a better manner than the existing member states did.Euro; European Union; Attitudes; Changes of attitudes; National identity

Abiturienten und Arbeitslose leisten überdurchschnittlich oft Wehr- oder Zivildienst

Anlässlich der Urteilsverkündung des Bundesverfassungsgerichts zur Rechtmäßigkeit der Wehrpflicht im März dieses Jahres ist die Diskussion um die zukünftige Gestaltung der Bundeswehr erneut Verletzung der Wehrgerechtigkeit das am häufigsten genannte Argument, das gegen die Beibehaltung der Wehrpflicht vorgebracht wird. Tatsächlich bleibt einem beachtlichen Teil der jungen Männer die Ableistung eines oftmals unerwünschten Dienstes und die damit verbundenen Verschiebungen im Ausbildungs- und Berufsverlauf erspart. Eine Ausnahme bilden diejenigen, die in der Bundeswehr eine berufliche Perspektive sehen. Mit den vom DIW Berlin erhobenen Daten des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) kann gezeigt werden, dass Abiturienten und Arbeitslose überdurchschnittlich häufig einen Wehr- oder Zivildienst leisten.

Nachhilfe als Strategie zur Verwirklichung von Bildungszielen: eine empirische Untersuchung mit Daten des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP)

Private paid tutoring is a subject that is not well recognised in education research. By using theories on educational choice one could argue that tutoring promotes inequalities in attaining qualifications. Empirical analyses based on the German Socio Economic Panel Study (SOEP) show that more than every fourth pupil has had private remedial teaching while attending school. In West Germany, paid lessons are obviously a means of achieving higher goals. However, this is not the case in Eastern Germany, where no tradition of paid tutoring exists. By looking at the social origin of the parents, it can be observed that a better income situation promotes the decision to choose private lessons. The hypothesis that highly educated parents, especially mothers, hinder the use of remedial teaching, as they are able to help the children on their own, can not be confirmed. There is no link between parents' education and rates of private paid lessons.Private paid tutoring; Schooling; Educational choice; Intergenerational inequality

Der Einfluss des Einkommens der Eltern auf die Schulwahl

The impact of parents' education and social position on their children's educational career is very well known for Germany. However, there is little research on the influence of parental income. The costs of longer-lasting school tracks and the financial opportunities of the parents are crucial in models on educational choice. This article examines the connection between income and school tracking, looking at the transition from primary school to one of the three main types of German secondary schools, using the data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) from the years 1984 to 2003. The analysis shows that a good income position fosters thetransition into the top level "Gymnasium", hinders the shift into the lowest level "Hauptschule", and has hardly any effect on the middle level "Realschule". However, the impact of income is relatively small compared to that of parental education. Income during early childhood has a stronger effect than income at the time of deciding on a school. It might be that a good economic position at earlier ages leads to an advantageous development. The study can not definitely confirm the claim made by educational choice theory, that costs really are important at this early point in the German educational system.Choice; Stress theory; School tracking; Family income; Social origin

Coherent Interaction of a Single Fermion with a Small Bosonic Field

We have experimentally studied few-body impurity systems consisting of a single fermionic atom and a small bosonic field on the sites of an optical lattice. Quantum phase revival spectroscopy has allowed us to accurately measure the absolute strength of Bose-Fermi interactions as a function of the interspecies scattering length. Furthermore, we observe the modification of Bose-Bose interactions that is induced by the interacting fermion. Because of an interference between Bose-Bose and Bose-Fermi phase dynamics, we can infer the mean fermionic filling of the mixture and quantify its increase (decrease) when the lattice is loaded with attractive (repulsive) interspecies interactions.Comment: 4+ pages, 5 figures, updated to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.115305">published version</a

Soziale Ungleichheiten beim Schulstart: empirische Untersuchungen zur Bedeutung der sozialen Herkunft und des Kindergartenbesuchs auf den Zeitpunkt der Einschulung

Although in Germany, there is a regular age of school entry, some children start school later than usual and some children start ahead of schedule. While there has been some decrease in delayed school entries in the last years, the rate of premature school entry has increased substantially. Paradoxically, while the delayed entry is primarily because professionals rate a child as not ready for school, the premature entry is mainly based on parents' choice. The first aim of the paper is to discover whether kindergarten attendance can reduce the risk of a delayed entry. The arguments and hypotheses are mainly based on the theory on the ecology of human development of Bronfenbrenner. The empirical analyses demonstrate that low educated families profit most by kindergarten attendance, but only if the child begins attending the care institution before reaching age four. The second aim concerns theoretical and empirical considerations in regard to the decision of prematurely entering school. Therefore, we apply common sociological models on educational choice to the situation of school entry. Socio-economic conditions are not as important at this point as compared with a delay in school entry. However, there are some income effects indicating that higher income parents try to avoid further payments for kindergarten by fostering a premature entry to elementary schools, which is free of fees. The analyses are based on over 1.400 children in the relevant age group and their parents taking part in the large nationwide German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). Aus dem ökosystemischen Ansatz von Bronfenbrenner lässt sich ableiten, dass der Kindergarten entwicklungsfördernd ist, und zwar insbesondere bei Kindern aus bildungsfernen Haushalten. Deshalb gehen wir der Frage nach, in wieweit ein früher Eintritt in den Kindergarten das Risiko der Rückstellung bei der Einschulung reduziert. Auch werden vorzeitige Einschulungen untersucht, da sie in den letzten Jahren stark an Bedeutung gewonnen haben. Im Gegensatz zu den eher institutionell veranlassten Rückstellungen handelt es sich bei der vorzeitigen Einschulung um Entscheidungen der Eltern. Deshalb wenden wir das Modell der Bildungswahl auf diese Situation an. Die empirischen Analysen basieren auf Daten des SOEP der Jahre 1995-2004 und stützten die Annahmen zur kompensatorischen Wirkung eines Kindergartenbesuchs, denn bei Kindern aus bildungsfernen Haushalten reduziert ein frühzeitiger Eintritt in den Kindergarten das Risiko einer späteren Rückstellung vom Schulbesuch. Auch wenn die Befunde zur vorzeitigen Einschulung weniger eindeutig ausfallen, so geben sie zumindest Hinweise darauf, dass insbesondere einkommensstarke Eltern ihre Kinder vorzeitig einschulen und damit auf ein weiteres Jahr im gebührenpflichtigen Kindergarten verzichten.