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Cross-national Research on the Intergenerational Transmission of Advantage

Completed Project

Project Period

July 1, 2009 - September 30, 2010

Commissioned by

Russel Sage Foundation

Using representative microdata from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), we work on three research projects that cover the whole process of the intergenerational transmission of resources and abilities across the life course, focusing on a variety of outcome measures.
Project 1: Intergenerational transmission of parental resources and social status (Olaf Groh-Samberg, Henning Lohmann, Joachim R. Frick and Jürgen Schupp). This project investigates the link between parents and their adult offspring. Relevant outcome measures include family income, individual earnings, education, and occupation for both parents and adult offspring.
Project 2: Intergenerational transmission of cognitive and non-cognitive skills (Silke Anger). This project analyzes the link between parents and their adolescent and adult offspring. Relevant outcome measures include cognitive and non-cognitive skills of the parental generation as well as their adolescent and adult offspring.
Project 3: Early child development and parental background (C. Katharina Spiess and Frauke H. Peter). This project focuses on the link between parents and their very young children. Relevant outcome measures include (cognitive and) non-cognitive skills of young children measured at various ages.

All three projects contribute to the existing intergenerational research by focusing on different stages of development over the life course. Together, the analyses comprise all life cycle periods relevant for examining the transmission of resources and abilities. With reference to the intergenerational literature, the projects provide for additional findings, as most studies concentrate on potential effects on young adolescents and adult offspring.

DIW Team

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