IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/reihed/v65y2024i7d10.1007_s11162-024-09791-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Secondary Ethnic Effects in the Transition to Higher Education in Germany and Their Explanations

Author

Listed:
  • Sebastian Neumeyer

    (Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsverläufe (LIfBi))

  • Gisela Will

    (Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsverläufe (LIfBi))

Abstract

Given their lower socioeconomic background and achievement, immigrants and their descendants have been shown to make more ambitious decisions regarding educational transitions. While previous research has extensively analysed transitions within and after compulsory education, research on late transitions is scarce. This study focuses on the secondary effect of ethnic origin in the transition after upper secondary education in Germany, where school leavers decide between vocational education and training and higher education. Based on longitudinal data from the National Educational Panel Study, we first analyse differences by ethnic origin (Turkey, former Soviet Union, Poland, other countries) and immigrant generation (first, second, third generation) net of socioeconomic background and achievement. Compared to those of the ethnic majority, we find increased probabilities of enrolment in higher education for most ethnic groups of the first and second immigrant generation, net of differences in socioeconomic background and achievement. Second, we test four explanatory approaches for secondary ethnic effects (immigrant optimism, relative status maintenance, anticipated discrimination, and information deficits). By employing decomposition analyses for nonlinear regression models, we find that, taken together, the four explanations account for up to half of the ethnic differences in educational choice after upper secondary education. Specifically, increased levels of immigrant optimism and information deficits regarding vocational education explain a substantial share of the ethnic differences among all origin groups. For Turkish immigrants, the motive to maintain relative status in the origin country also contributes to increased enrolment rates in higher education.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Neumeyer & Gisela Will, 2024. "Secondary Ethnic Effects in the Transition to Higher Education in Germany and Their Explanations," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(7), pages 1514-1539, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:65:y:2024:i:7:d:10.1007_s11162-024-09791-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11162-024-09791-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11162-024-09791-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11162-024-09791-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Breen & Kristian Bernt Karlson & Anders Holm, 2013. "Total, Direct, and Indirect Effects in Logit and Probit Models," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 42(2), pages 164-191, May.
    2. Ulrich Kohler, 2011. "Comparing coefficients between nested nonlinear probability models," German Stata Users' Group Meetings 2011 08, Stata Users Group.
    3. Barro, Robert J. & Lee, Jong Wha, 2013. "A new data set of educational attainment in the world, 1950–2010," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 184-198.
    4. Paul T. von Hippel, 2020. "How Many Imputations Do You Need? A Two-stage Calculation Using a Quadratic Rule," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 49(3), pages 699-718, August.
    5. Marta Tienda & Linda Zhao, 2017. "Institutional and Ethnic Variations in Postgraduate Enrollment and Completion," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 88(4), pages 561-592, July.
    6. Kristen, Cornelia & Granato, Nadia, 2007. "The educational attainment of the second generation in Germany : social origins and ethnic inequality," IAB-Discussion Paper 200704, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    7. Ulrich Kohler & Kristian Bernt Karlson & Anders Holm, 2011. "Comparing coefficients of nested nonlinear probability models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 11(3), pages 420-438, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mathieu Ichou & Matthew Wallace, 2019. "The Healthy Immigrant Effect: The role of educational selectivity in the good health of migrants," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(4), pages 61-94.
    2. Samuel H. Fishman & S. Philip Morgan & Robert A. Hummer, 2018. "Smoking and Variation in the Hispanic Paradox: A Comparison of Low Birthweight Across 33 US States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(5), pages 795-824, October.
    3. Zajacova, Anna & Montez, Jennifer Karas, 2018. "Explaining the increasing disability prevalence among mid-life US adults, 2002 to 2016," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 1-8.
    4. Myrskylä, Mikko & Elo, Irma T. & Kohler, Iliana V. & Martikainen, Pekka, 2014. "The association between advanced maternal and paternal ages and increased adult mortality is explained by early parental loss," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 215-223.
    5. Han, Yang & Wei, Jianwen & Zhao, Yandong, 2021. "Long-term effects of housing damage on survivors’ health in rural China: Evidence from a survey 10 Years after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    6. Zhuofei Lu & Wei Zhuang, 2023. "Can Teleworking Improve Workers’ Job Satisfaction? Exploring the Roles of Gender and Emotional Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 1433-1452, June.
    7. Marco Tosi, 2017. "Age norms, family relationships, and home leaving in Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(9), pages 281-306.
    8. Rao, Smitha & Enelamah, Ngozi V., 2024. "Social protection and absorptive capacity: Disaster preparedness and social welfare policy in the United States," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    9. van Stel, André & Kaciak, Eugene & Cieślik, Jerzy, 2020. "Hiring plans by solo entrepreneurs at the time of start-up: The role of education and the desire for self-expression," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 58-66.
    10. Vinnerljung, Bo & Brännström, Lars & Hjern, Anders, 2015. "Disability pension among adult former child welfare clients: A Swedish national cohort study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 169-176.
    11. Christiansen, Julie & Larsen, Finn Breinholt & Lasgaard, Mathias, 2016. "Do stress, health behavior, and sleep mediate the association between loneliness and adverse health conditions among older people?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 80-86.
    12. Klaus Pforr, 2014. "femlogit-Implementation of the multinomial logit model with fixed effects," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 14(4), pages 847-862, December.
    13. Strohmeyer, Robert & Tonoyan, Vartuhi & Jennings, Jennifer E., 2017. "Jacks-(and Jills)-of-all-trades: On whether, how and why gender influences firm innovativeness," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 498-518.
    14. Dianne H. B. Welsh & Eugene Kaciak, 2019. "Family enrichment and women entrepreneurial success: the mediating effect of family interference," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1045-1075, December.
    15. Lei, Lei & Desai, Sonalde, 2021. "Male out-migration and the health of left-behind wives in India: The roles of remittances, household responsibilities, and autonomy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    16. Femke Roosma & Wim van Oorschot, 2021. "Between hope and fear? Regional and social dividing lines in attitudes towards an EU minimum income scheme," International Journal of Social Welfare, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 170-181, April.
    17. Shahriar, Abu Zafar M. & Alam, Quamrul, 2024. "Violence against women, innate preferences and financial inclusion," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    18. Sandy Tubeuf & Florence Jusot & Damien Bricard, 2012. "Mediating Role Of Education And Lifestyles In The Relationship Between Early‐Life Conditions And Health: Evidence From The 1958 British Cohort," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(S1), pages 129-150, June.
    19. Fan, Wen & Qian, Yue, 2017. "Native-immigrant occupational segregation and worker health in the United States, 2004–2014," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 130-141.
    20. Robinson, Peter John & Botzen, W. J. Wouter & Kunreuther, Howard & Chaudhry, Shereen J., 2021. "Default options and insurance demand," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 39-56.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:65:y:2024:i:7:d:10.1007_s11162-024-09791-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.