The Changing Educational Gradient in Non-Traditional Family Ideals: A Cross-National Study

Katrin Schwanitz, University of Turku
Lydia Palumbo, University of Turku
Ann M. Berrington, University of Southampton

This paper examines how ideational changes related to non-traditional family behaviours vary across educational groups and countries, addressing three research questions: are there differences in approval of non-traditional family behaviours across countries, by educational level, and over time? The study uses data from two rounds of the European Social Survey (2006, 2018), with a sample of 63,330 respondents from 21 countries, grouped according to their progression in the Second Demographic Transition (SDT). The findings show notable differences across country groups, with Nordic-European countries showing the highest approval for non-traditional family behaviours and Southern-European, Baltic and Eastern-European countries remaining more resistant. Educational differences in approval were found mainly for behaviours related to women’s work and divorce, with a positive gradient of higher approval among the more educated across all country groups. In contrast, childlessness, cohabitation, and non-marital childbearing showed fewer educational differences. Over time, approval trends in the Baltic and Southern European countries show convergence or reversal. The paper suggests exploring socioeconomic status indicators in future analyses, such as social class, and using cohort-based analyses for deeper insights into ideational change across regions.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households, Comparative methods , Gender Dynamics, Fertility

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