Publications Based on SOEP Data: SOEPlit

Do high incomes reflect individual performance?

Personality and Environmental Concern

People vary considerably in their attitudes toward environmental issues. Although some individuals view the environment from a purely utilitarian perspective, others are concerned about environmental sustainability and maintaining an ecological balance. The current study examines the relationship between personality characteristics and environmental concern in a community sample of 2690 German adults. ...

Determinants of Positive Naturalisation Intentions among Germany's Labour Migrants

This study adds another piece to the puzzle of naturalisation among individuals with an immigrant background by further developing the application of social identity. I suggest that two important determinants of an intention to naturalise are identification with one’s country of origin, and discrimination. The effects of these and other predictors associated with social identity theory are empirically ...

Relations between Second-Language Proficiency and National Identification: The Case of Immigrants in Germany

This article discusses and empirically tests the relations between German language proficiency and national identification with Germany among first-generation immigrants in Germany. It presents three theoretical arguments: (i) language proficiency positively affects national identification; (ii) contrastingly, national identification positively influences language proficiency; and (iii) there is a ...

Rent Indices for Housing in West Germany 1985 to 1998

Does better education cause higher income?

While the positive influence of higher education on income has been repeatedly confirmed, the linking channel can be ambiguous. Within the framework of estimating the effect of income on life satisfaction, various sources of endogeneity caused by joint determination are addressed and the earnings equation is reconsidered, too: We cast doubt on the hypothesis of the direct influence of educational achievement ...

Social Causation Versus Health Selection in the Life Course: Does Their Relative Importance Differ by Dimension of SES?

A person’s socioeconomic status (SES) can affect health (social causation) and health can affect SES (health selection). The findings for each of these pathways may depend on how SES is measured. We study (1) whether social causation or health selection is more important for overall health inequalities, (2) whether this differs between stages of the life course, and (3) between measures of SES. Using ...

Inequality of Personal Income in the Enlarged EU: The Role of the Welfare States, Regional Cohesion Policies and Economic Integration

The spatial structure of income inequality in the enlarged EU

Data Bases and Statistical Systems: Sociology

As a rule, core databases contain quantitative survey data. Traditionally, qualitative data, for example, ethnographic field notes or transcripts of group discussions and interviews, have not been made available for secondary analysis. This is slowly changing, and a number of data archives in Europe, Australia, and the US are working on the archiving of qualitative data. Quantitative social science ...