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Differences in family policy and the intergenerational transmission of divorce: a comparison between the former East and West Germany

Author

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  • Henriette Engelhardt

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Heike Trappe
  • Jaap Dronkers

Abstract

The intergenerational transmission of the risk of divorce is a well-known long-term effect of divorce that has been found in many Western societies. Less known is the extent to which different family policies and divorce laws have an effect on the intergenerational transmission of divorce. In this paper, the division of Germany into two separate states from 1949 until 1990, with the consequent development of two very different family policies, is regarded as a natural experiment that enables us to investigate the effect of family policy on the mechanisms underlying the social inheritance of divorce. Data from respondents from the former East and West Germany participating in the German Life History Study are analyzed, using multivariate event-history methods. The results indicate that the strength of the intergenerational divorce transmission, when adjusted for differences in the divorce level, was lower in the East than in the West. Differences in marriage age and the timing of first birth, which are partial indicators of family policy, as well as differences in religion, could explain this effect. Furthermore, we found a tendency towards a reduction in the dynamics of divorce transmission over time, both in East and West Germany.

Suggested Citation

  • Henriette Engelhardt & Heike Trappe & Jaap Dronkers, 2002. "Differences in family policy and the intergenerational transmission of divorce: a comparison between the former East and West Germany," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2002-008, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2002-008
    DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2002-008
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Elisabetta Ruspini, 1998. "Living on the Poverty Line. Lone Mothers in Belgium, Germany, Great Britan, Italy and Sweden," MZES Working Papers 28, MZES.
    2. Thomas A. DiPrete, 2001. "Life Course Risks, Mobility Regimes, and Mobility Consequences: A Comparison of Sweden, Germany and the U.S," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 255, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
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    Cited by:

    1. Uwe Jirjahn & Cornelia Chadi, 2020. "Out-of-partnership births in East and West Germany," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 853-881, September.
    2. Benoît Laplante, 2016. "A matter of norms: Family background, religion, and generational change in the diffusion of first union breakdown among French-speaking Quebeckers," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(27), pages 783-812.
    3. Necker, Sarah & Voskort, Andrea, 2013. "The evolution of German's values since reunification," Freiburg Discussion Papers on Constitutional Economics 13/13, Walter Eucken Institut e.V..
    4. Andreas Klärner, 2015. "The low importance of marriage in eastern Germany - social norms and the role of peoples’ perceptions of the past," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(9), pages 239-272.
    5. Chadi, Cornelia & Jirjahn, Uwe, 2019. "Does Society Influence the Gender Gap in Risk Attitudes? Evidence from East and West Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 12100, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Andreas Diekmann & Henriette Engelhardt, 2002. "Alter der Kinder bei Ehescheidung der Eltern und soziale Vererbung des Scheidungsrisikos," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2002-044, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    7. Necker, Sarah & Voskort, Andrea, 2014. "Politics and parents — Intergenerational transmission of values after a regime shift," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 177-194.
    8. Serap Kavas, 2022. "Early Marriage and Motherhood from an Intergenerational Perspective: The Case of Turkey," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(5), pages 2143-2175, October.
    9. Stefan Bauernschuster & Helmut Rainer, 2012. "Political regimes and the family: how sex-role attitudes continue to differ in reunified Germany," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 25(1), pages 5-27, January.
    10. Juho Härkönen & Fabrizio Bernardi & Diederik Boertien, 2017. "Family Dynamics and Child Outcomes: An Overview of Research and Open Questions," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(2), pages 163-184, May.
    11. Sven A. Hartmann, 2024. "Television and family demography: Evidence from a natural experiment in East Germany," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202407, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    12. Shelly Lundberg, 2012. "Personality and marital surplus," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 1(1), pages 1-21, December.
    13. Fabrizio Bernardi & Jonas Radl, 2014. "The long-term consequences of parental divorce for children’s educational attainment," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(61), pages 1653-1680.
    14. Kathrin Morosow & Heike Trappe, 2018. "Intergenerational transmission of fertility timing in Germany," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(46), pages 1389-1422.
    15. Bowmaker, Simon W. & Emerson, Patrick M., 2009. "Still Waiting for Mister Right? Asymmetric Information, Abortion Laws and the Timing of Marriage," IZA Discussion Papers 4176, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Kim Caarls & Helga A. G. Valk, 2018. "Regional Diffusion of Divorce in Turkey," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(4), pages 609-636, October.
    17. Uwe Jirjahn, Cornelia Struewing, 2018. "Single Motherhood in East and West Germany: What Can Explain the Differences?," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 15(2), pages 197-229, December.
    18. Nicholas Wolfinger, 2011. "More Evidence for Trends in the Intergenerational Transmission of Divorce: A Completed Cohort Approach Using Data From the General Social Survey," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(2), pages 581-592, May.
    19. Thalberg, Sara, 2003. "Demographic Patterns in Europe. A review of Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania," Arbetsrapport 2003:8, Institute for Futures Studies.
    20. Daniele Vignoli & Irene Ferro, 2009. "Rising marital disruption in Italy and its correlates," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 20(4), pages 11-36.
    21. Borgna, Camilla & Struffolino, Emanuela, 2018. "Unpacking Configurational Dynamics: Sequence Analysis and Qualitative Comparative Analysis as a Mixed-Method Design," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 167-184.
    22. Anna Christina D'Addio, 2007. "Intergenerational Transmission of Disadvantage: Mobility or Immobility Across Generations?," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 52, OECD Publishing.
    23. Struffolino, Emanuela & Studer, Matthias & Fasang, Anette Eva, 2016. "Gender, education, and family life courses in East and West Germany: Insights from new sequence analysis techniques," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 29, pages 66-79.

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    JEL classification:

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

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