Insecurities in employment and occupational careers and their impact on the transition to fatherhood in Western Germany

This paper examines the relationship between work and family among men in western Germany. We investigate the extent to which a difficult start in and insecurities during the working life affect men’s transition to fatherhood, and the degree to which this effect is influenced by characteristics of the respondent´s family of origin and his relationship history. We use proportional hazards models to analyze data of the third “Familiensurvey” conducted by the German Youth Institute in 2000. In accordance with the spillover hypothesis, which assumes that labor market success (or failure) leads to success (or failure) in family behavior, we found that under difficult and/or insecure circumstances in career patterns, men delayed their transition to fatherhood. The delay was caused in particular by unemployment, self-employment or part-time work. A successful career development, however, increases the propensity to have a child soon after having taken a career step. Contrary to the hypothesis of individualization, the social status and the composition of the family of origin still have an impact on the fertility behavior of men in adulthood. In particular, the transition rate to fatherhood was higher if the man grew up with at least one sibling, while losing a parent through death decreased the rate. Both the employment career and the parental home influence the formation of steady relationships, and this explains in part their effect on the transition to fatherhood. Keywords: fertility; labor market; menGermany (Alte Bundesländer)

Insecurities in employment and occupational careers and their impact on the transition to fatherhood in Western Germany

This paper examines the relationship between work and family among men in Western Germany. We investigate the extent to which a difficult start in working life and insecurities during the working life affect men’s transition to fatherhood, and how this effect is influenced by characteristics of the family of origin and the respondents’ own relationship history. We use proportional hazards models to analyze data of the third "Familiensurvey" conducted by the German Youth Institute in 2000. In accordance with the spillover hypothesis which assumes that labor market success (or failure) leads to success (or failure) in family behavior as well, we found that under difficult and/or insecure circumstances in their career, men delay their transition to fatherhood. In particular, the delay was related to being unemployed, being self-employed or working part-time. On the other hand, a successful career development increases the propensity to have a child soon after the career step. Contrary to a hypothesis of individualization, the social status and the composition of the family of origin still have an impact on the fertility behavior of men in adulthood. In particular, the transition rate to fatherhood was higher if the man grew up with at least one sibling, while losing a parent through death decreased it. Both employment career and parental home influence the formation of steady relationships, which explains part of their effect on the transition to fatherhood.fertility, Germany, men, professional career, Western Germany

Success at Work, Life Patterns, and Overall Life Satisfaction: Changes in the Lives of Men and Women since the 1980s in West Germany

This paper focuses on the structural relationship between family building and upward mobility. Typically this relationship is analyzed for women only, while we include men as well. With new patterns of intimate partnerships and non-traditional families, on the one hand, and a changing labor market, on the other hand, new assertions about their connection have emerged. Using SOEP-data, the possible change in that relationship is investigated in two years, 1986 and 1996. In addition, the influence of success at work and the private life pattern on overall satisfaction with life is analyzed

Die Bedeutung von Herkunftsfamilie, Berufsbiografie und Partnerschaften für den Übergang zur Ehe und Vaterschaft

This paper examines the extent to which a difficult entry into the labor market and insecurities during the working life affect men’s decision to marry and to have their first child and how these effects hold true when characteristics of the family of origin and the respondents own relationship history are included. Data of the third “Familiensurvey” of the German Youth Institute, conducted in the year 2000, are analyzed for men in Western Germany. Under difficult and/or insecure circumstances men delay their start of a family. Being not employed, being self-employed or working part-time is in particular decisive. The composition of the family of origin still have an impact when men are grown up and when they decide about starting a family. Having siblings increases the propensity to marry and to start one’s own family in particular whereas the loss of a parent by death decreases the probability.Germany (Alte Bundesländer), cohabitation, employment, marriage, parenthood, parents

Berufsbiographische Unsicherheiten und der Übergang zur Elternschaft bei Männern

In this paper we look at the impact of employment on family development with reference to men. We investigate the extent to which insecurities in the employment career have an effect on family formation. By comparing the life histories and life situation of men in East and West Germany, we are able to retrieve information about the effects of different social systems on the transition to fatherhood. We use logistic regression models to analyze data of the ´Familiensurvey´ of the German Youth Institute conducted in the year 2000.Germany, employment, men

Das Zusammenspiel von Familienentwicklung und Erwerbsverhalten von Frauen: empirische Umsetzung einer theoretischen Neukonzeptualisierung

'Das Zusammenspiel von Erwerbsverhalten und Familienentwicklung bei Frauen wurde lange Zeit fast ausschließlich auf der Basis von Querschnittsdaten analysiert und mit dem Konzept des klassischen Familienzyklus interpretiert. Im folgenden wird zum einen für Erwerbsunterbrechungen eine theoretisch differenziertere Perspektive entwickelt. Zum anderen werden mit kontinuierlichen Lebensverlaufsdaten von Frauen unterschiedlicher Geburtsjahrgänge Prozesse des Wandels sichtbar gemacht.' (Autorenreferat

Historische Ausgangssituation und Veränderungen im Ausbildungs- und Erwerbsverhalten junger Frauen in der Nachkriegszeit

Die Verfasserin verdeutlicht, daß die Kohortenanalyse von Verlaufsdaten nicht nur ein überaus nützliches Verfahren zur Exploration ist, sondern auch den Ausgangspunkt zur Entwicklung eines differenzierten zeitbezogenen multivariaten Modells zur Untersuchung von Lebensläufen bilden kann. Ausgehend von der individuellen Beteiligung junger Frauen am Erwerbsleben wird vor dem Hintergrund der unterschiedlichen historischen Bedingungen das Ausmaß des Wandels in den Berufsverläufen von drei Geburtskohorten aufgezeigt. Zur Erklärung der Unterbrechungen im Erwerbsleben der untersuchten Kohorten wird das verlaufsanalytische Modell proportionaler Risiken zugrundegelegt. Mit dem Modell werden die Effekte unabhängiger Variablen und die Stärke ihrer jeweiligen Einflüsse auf diese Zäsuren untersucht. Zusammenfassend wird festgestellt, daß familiäre Ereignisse eindeutig die dominanten, durchschlagenden Faktoren sind, die den Übergang von Erwerbsarbeit zu Erwerbsunterbrechung bei jungen Frauen bestimmen, wobei sich deutlich die Entwicklung abzeichnet, daß der Einfluß der Heirat durch den der Schwangerschaft zurückgedrängt wird. Entscheidungssituationen, die bei familiären Ereignissen im Hinblick auf eine Erwerbsbeteiligung anstehen, werden hinausgezögert bzw. gemieden. Denn wenn sich eine Frau zur Heirat oder Geburt eines Kindes entschließt, so besteht die individuelle Lösung, den familiären Verpflichtungen und Aufgaben nachzukommen, für junge Frauen noch weitgehend in einer Unterbrechung der Erwerbsarbeit und damit notgedrungenermaßen im traditionellen Rollenmuster. (TR