Girls’ transition to adulthood and their later life socioeconomic attainment: Findings from the English longitudinal study of ageing

(2020) - Baowen Xue, Penny Tinkler, Paola Zaninotto, Anne McMunn

Journal: Advances in Life Course Research
Link:: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1040260820300290
DOI:: 10.1016/j.alcr.2020.100352
Links::
Tags:: #paper #Transition #Gender #Education
Cite Key:: [@xueGirlsTransitionAdulthood2020]

Abstract

Transitions to adulthood represent a sensitive period for setting young people into particular life course trajectories, and the nature of these transitions have varied more for girls, historically, than for boys. We aim to investigate the long-term significance of different transitions out of full-time education for socioeconomic attainment in later life amongst postwar young women in England. Our data are from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing for girls born during World War II and the post-war period (1939–1952, n = 1798). Using sequence analysis, we identified six types of transition out of full-time education between ages 14 and 26: EarlyWork, Mid-Work, Late-Work, Early-Domestic, Late-Domestic, and Part-time Mixed. We used linear and multinomial regression models to examine associations between transition types and socioeconomic attainment outcomes from age 50, including individual income, household income and wealth, and occupational class. Our study found that later transitions into employment (Mid-Work and Late-Work) were associated with higher socioeconomic attainment after age 50 compared with women who made early transitions from education to employment (Early-Work); much of the advantage of making later transitions to employment was due to higher educational attainment. We also found that early transitions to domestic work (Early-Domestic) set young women onto trajectories of lower socioeconomic attainment than compared with those who made early transitions to employment, suggesting the nature of the transition from full-time education is as important as the timing, perhaps uniquely for women. A pathway of cumulative advantage/disadvantage is also evident in our study; results suggest a partial mediating role for educational attainment in associations between childhood social class and later life socioeconomic attainment.

Notes

“Using sequence analysis, we identified six types of transition out of full-time education between ages 14 and 26: EarlyWork, Mid-Work, Late-Work, Early-Domestic, Late-Domestic, and Part-time Mixed” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 1)

“later transitions into employment (Mid-Work and Late-Work) were associated with higher socioeconomic attainment after age 50 compared with women who made early transitions from education to employment (Early-Work); much of the advantage of making later transitions to employment was due to higher educational attainment” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 1)

“that early transitions to domestic work (Early-Domestic) set young women onto trajectories of lower socioeconomic attainment than compared with those who made early transitions to employment, suggesting the nature of the transition from full-time education is as important as the timing, perhaps uniquely for women.” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 1)

“results suggest a partial mediating role for educational attainment in associations between childhood social class and later life socioeconomic attainment” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 1)

“Structural differences in the life paths available to men and women have meant that women experience greater interdependence between family and work, and more variation in the nature of transitions to adulthood than men (Madero-Cabib & Fasang, 2016; McMunn et al., 2015; Ross, Schoon, Martin, & Sacker, 2009).” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 1)

“life course transitions in this historical and cultural context may have implications for subsequent inequality in women’s socioeconomic attainment, and therefore, possibly greater life course inequality for this generation of women” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 1)

“The ‘cumulative advantage/disadvantage’ model suggests those with advantaged origins tend to experience subsequent advantageous life course trajectories (O’Rand, 1996, 2009), resulting in increasing differences with underprivileged groups over time (Dannefer, 2003). The ‘path dependency’ model hypothesises that the effect of early disadvantage is indirect (Graham, 2002). It highlights the different factors, such as lifestyles and educational achievement, that can act as mediators between early life social situations and advantages/disadvantages at later life.” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 2)

“For women born in the early post-war period in the UK, work by Kuh, Head, Hardy and Wadsworth (1997) has shown that educational achievement strongly determinates their midlife earnings” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 2)

“Educational homophily within couples may act as another factor which makes education particularly important for setting individuals into life course advantage or disadvantage (DiPrete & Eirich, 2006; Verbakel et al., 2008).” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 2)

“The life course perspective draws attention to the timing of adolescent transitions as potentially having long-term consequences through effects on subsequent transitions (1998, Elder, 1994; Kuh, BenShlomo, Lynch, Hallqvist, & Power, 2003; Shanahan, 2000).” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 2)

“number of previous studies have linked early school leaving with low-paying, low-status, and less continuous paid employment in adulthood (Pailhé, Robette, & Solaz, 2013; Worts, Sacker, McMunn, & McDonough, 2013) and early school-leavers have been shown to be less likely to form enduring partnerships but more likely to enter parenthood early (Falci, Mortimer, & Noel, 2010).” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 2)

“Those with higher education have been shown to be the most likely to combine continuous employment with childless or delayed parenthood (McMunn et al., 2015), and to be better able to purchase reliable childcare, and thus maintain strong ties to both employment and family (Joshi, 2002; Ward, Dale, & Joshi, 1996).” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 2)

“the life course perspective recognises that transitions have different meanings, antecedents, and consequences depending on the nature of transitions, that is how they fit into larger sequences or trajectories (Silke Aisenbrey & Fasang, 2010; Elder, 1994, 1998).” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 2) If the market changes for example, a transition out of FT education at a different point than your parents may have radically different consequences

“Like other significant life transitions, the transition to adulthood is embedded in a sociocultural context which influences young people’s behaviour and life course transitions and trajectories as well as the meaning of transitions for individuals (Elder & Rockwell, 1979; Elder, 1998; Schulenberg et al., 2004; Shanahan, 2000)” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 3)

“Like many countries, the UK has seen dramatic changes in the nature of work, family and the normative gender divisions between them over the past few decades (Figs. 1s–3s in the appendix show the changes in marriage, employment and education patterns between women and men over time in the UK).” (Xue et al., 2020, p. 3)