Perceptions of job instability and the prospects of parenthood. A comparison between Eastern and Western Germany

Laura Bernardi, Andreas Klärner and Holger von der Lippe
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Laura Bernardi: Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
Andreas Klärner: Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
Holger von der Lippe: Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany

No WP-2006-017, MPIDR Working Papers from Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany

Abstract: The paper contributes to a debate on recent fertility developments in eastern and western Germany as well as on the lacking convergence of family formation patterns between the two regions. We address the relationship between the perception of instable employment careers and economic insecurity in relation to family formation intentions. We conduct a thematic and interpretative analysis of problem-centered interviews with stratified sub-samples of eastern and western Germans in their late twenties. Our findings show considerable differences between the two regions. In western Germany stable employment precedes family formation following a rigid sequential pattern, whereas in eastern Germany employment stability and family formation are conceived and practiced as parallel investments

Keywords: Germany; family formation; labor force participation; qualitative methods; social change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45 pages
Date: 2006
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2006-017

DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2006-017

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