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The change in single mothers’ educational gradient over time in Spain

Author

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  • Anna Garriga

    (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

  • Clara Cortina

    (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Abstract

Background: Family structures changed enormously during the latter decades of the 20th century, with the diffusion of less-common family forms, especially among low-educated women. Previous research suggests that in Spain these changes have taken place in a very short period of time. Objective: The aim of this paper is, specifically, to analyse the educational gradient of single-mother families and its evolution in recent decades, focusing on age differences. Methods: We use the 1991, 2001, and 2011 Spanish population censuses and apply logistic regression analysis. Our investigation focuses on non-widowed mothers with children under 18. Results: Results show how the educational gradient of single motherhood reversed between 1991 and 2011. Our analyses reveal differences by age. While mothers younger than 30 present a consistent and even increasingly negative educational gradient across the whole period, the reversal applies to older mothers. It is this reversal that has resulted in changing a positive to a negative or neutral educational gradient. Conclusions: The diversification of educational profiles of Spanish mothers’ family structures is a process that is here to stay. Contribution: The article contributes to understanding the consequences of the diversification of family structures in the context of an economic crisis in which education is becoming increasingly important in determining mothers’ and children’s opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Garriga & Clara Cortina, 2017. "The change in single mothers’ educational gradient over time in Spain," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(61), pages 1859-1888.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:36:y:2017:i:61
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2017.36.61
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Patrick Heuveline & Jeffrey M. Timberlake & Frank F. Furstenberg, 2003. "Shifting Childrearing to Single Mothers: Results from 17 Western Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 29(1), pages 47-71, March.
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    6. Athena Tapales & Lawrence Finer, 2015. "Unintended pregnancy and the changing demography of American women, 1987-2008," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(45), pages 1257-1270.
    7. Anna Garriga & Sebastià Sarasa & Paolo Berta, 2015. "Mother’s educational level and single motherhood: Comparing Spain and Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(42), pages 1165-1210.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew Cherlin, 2017. "Introduction to the Special Collection on Separation, Divorce, Repartnering, and Remarriage around the World," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(38), pages 1275-1296.
    2. Antonio L. Pérez-Corral & Almudena Moreno Mínguez, 2022. "Single-Parent Families, Educational Gradient, and Child Deprivation: The Cases of Italy and Spain," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(5), pages 1821-1846, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    family; single motherhood; divorce; repartnering; education; Spain;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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