Publications

@article{nokey,

title = {Children of Separation: An International Profile},

author = {Zuzana Zilincikova and Jan Skopek and Thomas Leopold},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-11-01},

journal = {Population and Development Review},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {forthcoming},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {The development of host language achievement gaps by migration background during primary school - A path-model of educational inequalities},

author = {Stefanie L. Sprong and Jan Skopek},

url = {https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/berj.3897},

doi = {10.1002/berj.3897},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-08-08},

urldate = {2023-08-31},

journal = {British Educational Research Journal},

abstract = {Education is key to the structural integration of immigrants and their children. While research indicates that educational inequalities by migration background are a serious issue, relatively little is known about when, how and why they develop. The current paper adds to the literature by investigating to what extent achievement gaps by migration background develop during the primary school period. Drawing on data from a national longitudinal study of children in Ireland (N = 7577) and using structural equation modelling, it presents a path model of host language achievement. The results indicate that a large part of the disadvantages in English language achievement by migration background during primary school could be attributed to achievement gaps that already existed before school. Moreover, given earlier achievement, the effect of having a migration background was often insignificant or even positive, suggesting that disparities remain relatively stable or even decrease during the period of formal schooling.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {Childcare Utilisation by Migration Background - Evidence from a Nationally Representative Irish Cohort Study  },

author = {Stefanie L. Sprong and Jan Skopek},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100773},

doi = {10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100773},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-28},

urldate = {2023-02-28},

journal = {Research in Social Stratification and Social Mobility},

volume = {84},

issue = {April},

pages = {100773},

abstract = {Scholarship highlights the potentially equalising effects of early childhood education and care, which may be particularly relevant for children living in immigrant households. To properly understand those effects, it is crucial to consider which children are more likely to experience certain types of care. Drawing on recent, nationally representative, longitudinal data (N= 7,516), this paper presents new evidence on how childcare choices differ between native-born and immigrant households in Ireland, and how these differences may be explained. The results indicate that, compared to children from Irish-born households, children of migrant descent were more likely to be in formal care relative to informal care. However, children from non-English speaking immigrant households were less likely to be in both informal and formal care than parental care. Children from English speaking immigrant households were also slightly less likely to be in informal care than parental care, though there was no difference in the risk of formal care over parental care. Using the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) decomposition technique, we further showed that differences in socio-demographic and other relevant characteristics played an essential role in explaining these differential childcare utilisation patterns, with the equivalised household income, maternal employment prior to birth, and social support being among the most important explanatory variables.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{LeeschSkopek2023,

title = {Decomposing Trends in Educational Homogamy and Heterogamy – The Case of Ireland  },

author = {Julia Leesch and Jan Skopek},

doi = {10.1016/j.ssresearch.2023.102846},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-01},

urldate = {2023-02-01},

journal = {Social Science Research},

volume = {110},

number = {102846},

issue = {February},

abstract = {Employing Irish Census microdata, we analyze trends in educational homogamy and heterogamy between 1991 and 2016 and examine how they can be explained by concurrent trends in three theoretically relevant socio-demographic components – (a) educational attainment, (b) the educational gradient in marriage, and (c) educational assortative mating (i.e., non-random matching). Our study proposes a novel counterfactual decomposition method to estimate the contribution of each component to changing sorting outcomes in marriages. Findings indicate rising educational homogamy, an increase in non-traditional unions in which women partner ‘down’ in education, and a decline in traditional unions. Decomposition results suggest that these trends are predominantly attributable to changes in women's and men's educational attainment. Furthermore, changes in the educational gradient in marrying contributed to rising homogamy and the decline in traditional unions, a fact largely overlooked in previous research. Although assortative mating has also undergone changes, they barely contribute to trends in sorting outcomes.

},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {Academic achievement gaps by migration background at school starting age in Ireland},

author = {Stefanie L. Sprong and Jan Skopek},

doi = {10.1080/14616696.2022.2084558},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-06-08},

urldate = {2022-06-08},

journal = {European Societies},

volume = {24},

number = {580},

issue = {5},

pages = {604},

abstract = {In today’s increasingly diverse societies, a key question is how to foster the structural integration of immigrants and their descendants. While research indicates that migrant educational underachievement is a serious issue, relatively little is known about achievement gaps at younger ages and in relatively new immigration countries. The current study sets out to estimate the size of disparities by migration background at age five (i.e. when they start school) and explores the causes of these gaps. It does so in a context that offers a compelling but under-researched case: the Republic of Ireland. It draws on the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) data, a national longitudinal study of children in Ireland. The results suggest that some disparities by migration background already existed at the start of primary school, but also that gaps were limited to verbal skills and differed widely across groups. Moreover, social background only played a relatively minor role in explaining the differences, whereas the child’s first language was a powerful predictor of disadvantages by migration background in verbal skills.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {Is social inequality in school-age achievement generated before or during schooling? A European perspective},

author = {Giampiero Passaretta and Jan Skopek and Thomas van Huizen},

url = {https://academic.oup.com/esr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/esr/jcac005/6530161?searchresult=1},

doi = {10.1093/esr/jcac005},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-17},

urldate = {2022-02-17},

journal = {European Sociological Review},

volume = {38},

issue = {6},

pages = {849–865},

abstract = {Social gaps in children’s educational achievement emerge early in life and remain stable over schooling. Does social origin constantly shape achievement or is social inequality in school just an echo of inequality settled before schooling? We extend the previous research by studying the origins of social gaps in language achievement among primary school-age children from Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Based on dynamic accounts of skill development, we expected social origin to shape school-age achievement not only directly but also indirectly via before-school achievement. Using longitudinal data (COOL, MCS, NEPS) and applying an instrumental variable approach, we estimated the extent to which achievement gaps by parental education in school were generated before and during schooling. About 50–80 per cent of language gaps observed at end of primary school were explained by gaps settled before formal schooling in all three countries. Conversely, at most 20–50 per cent of school-age gaps were generated during schooling. These findings suggest that the roots of school-age achievement inequality must be sought primarily in processes transpiring before school life starts. },

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{PassarettaSkopek2021,

title = {Does schooling decrease socioeconomic inequality in early achievement? A differential exposure approach },

author = {Giampiero Passaretta and Jan Skopek},

url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00031224211049188},

doi = {10.1177/00031224211049188},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-11-01},

urldate = {2021-11-01},

journal = {American Sociological Review},

abstract = {Does schooling affect socioeconomic inequality in educational achievement? Earlier studies based on seasonal comparisons suggested schooling to equalize social gaps in learning. Recent replication studies gave rise to skepticism about the validity of older findings. We shed new light on the debate by estimating the causal effect of first-grade schooling on achievement inequality by socioeconomic family background in Germany. We elaborate a differential exposure approach that estimates the effect of exposure to first-grade schooling by exploiting (conditionally) random variation in test dates and birth dates for children who entered school on the same calendar day. We employ recent data from the German NEPS to test school exposure effects for a series of learning domains. Findings clearly indicate that first-grade schooling increased children’s learning in all domains. However, we did not find any evidence for those schooling effects to differ by children’s socioeconomic background. We conclude that, while all children gained from schooling, schooling had no consequences for social inequality in learning. We discuss the relevance of our findings for sociological knowledge on the role of schooling in the process of stratification and highlight the complementarity between our approach and seasonal comparison studies. },

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek-passaretta-2021,

title = {Socioeconomic inequality in children’s achievement from infancy to adolescence: The case of Germany},

author = {Jan Skopek and Giampiero Passaretta},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soaa093},

doi = {10.1093/sf/soaa093},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-10-18},

urldate = {2021-10-18},

journal = {Social Forces},

volume = {100},

number = {1},

pages = {86-112},

abstract = {When in children’s lives do gaps by family SES in cognitive skills emerge, how large are they before children enter school, and how do they develop over schooling? Going beyond previous research, we study the evolution of gaps by parental education in achievement from birth to adolescence in Germany. We exploit data from 57 tests taken from the age of 7 months to 16 years by the National Educational Panel Study. Because Germany has one of the most stratified education systems in the Western World, we hypothesized that achievement gaps will grow particularly during tracked secondary schooling. However, our findings show that SES gaps emerge and expand long before children enter school and then remain stable throughout their school careers. Because gaps stop growing, we tentatively conclude that schooling decreases inequality in learning by family SES. },

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{skopek2020b,

title = {Educational Reproduction in Germany: A Prospective Study Based on Retrospective Data. },

author = {Jan Skopek and Thomas Leopold },

url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-020-00896-2},

doi = {10.1007/s13524-020-00896-2},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-08-17},

urldate = {2020-08-17},

journal = {Demography},

volume = {57},

pages = {1241–1270},

abstract = {This study examines educational reproduction of East and West German men and women born between 1930 and 1950. In a prospective design, we study the importance of mobility and fertility pathways of reproduction, considering not only the social reproduction of education as an attribute but also the demographic reproduction of individuals who carry this attribute. Using data from NEPS and SOEP, we introduce a method that estimates prospective models based on retrospective data commonly available in surveys. The analysis offers new estimates of the expected number of high- and low-educated children born to men and women of different levels of education. Findings show that the importance of the fertility pathway of educational reproduction was higher in West than in East Germany, higher for women than for men, and higher for earlier than for later cohorts. For West German women of earlier cohorts, the fertility pathway tempered educational reproduction among the high-educated and reinforced it among the low-educated. Population renewal models show that differential fertility slightly lowered educational attainment and slightly increased inequality in educational attainment in the offspring generation. Across cohorts, the fertility pathway declined in importance, a result of fertility convergence between education groups and educational expansion in postwar Germany. We conclude that prospective designs advance our understanding of educational reproduction. The method that we introduce substantially reduces the data requirements of prospective analysis, facilitating future prospective research on social stratification. },

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2020,

title = {How do institutional factors shape PhD completion rates? An analysis of long-term changes in a European doctoral program},

author = {Jan Skopek and Moris Triventi and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

doi = {10.1080/03075079.2020.1744125},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-03-25},

urldate = {2020-03-25},

journal = {Studies in Higher Education},

volume = {(published online)},

abstract = {Our paper adds to a growing literature of doctoral training by studying factors that drive time-to-completion based on a new and unique data set from an international European graduate school. While previous research focused on individual factors, we inspect the role of institutional factors and the organization of PhD programs for PhD completion. Based on a theoretical model, we elaborate hypotheses on three sets of institutional factors for thesis submission rates. We use event history analysis to analyze register data on 30 entry cohorts of PhD students. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of the factors related to the institutional environment like the density of supervision and support. Furthermore, our results underscore the importance of program structuration through clear deadlines and sufficient length of funding. We conclude with a discussion on effective measures that can be taken by program designers and grant authorities aiming to improve completion rates in PhD schools.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Triventi2019,

title = {Advantage 'finds its way': How privileged families exploit opportunities in different systems of secondary education},

author = {Moris Triventi and Jan Skopek and Nevena Kulic and Sandra Buchholz and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038519874984},

doi = {10.1177/0038038519874984},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-10-03},

journal = {Sociology},

volume = {(online first)},

abstract = {The article discusses key findings from a large cross-national project (eduLIFE) on how social inequalities emerge in different models of secondary education. First, we propose a broader classification of forms of differentiation in secondary education compared to existing international studies. Second, we elaborate a fourfold typology of secondary education systems. Third, we provide an in-depth, longitudinal, and comparative perspective on how social background, academic performance, and forms of secondary schooling interact to create heterogeneous educational opportunities for recent generations. Three aspects are discussed: (1) the allocation of students to different forms of secondary schooling, (2) mobility between types of education, and (3) the consequences of differentiation in secondary schooling for later educational careers. Our findings suggest that parents from the upper social strata on average succeed in exploiting opportunities provided by the specific institutional configurations of school systems in order to harvest the most favorable outcomes for their children.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Blossfeld2019,

title = {Conditions and Consequences of Unequal Educational Opportunities in the Life Course: Results from the Cross-National Comparative eduLIFE Project},

author = {Hans-Peter Blossfeld and Nevena Kulic and Jan Skopek and Moris Triventi and Elina Kilpo-Jakonen and Daniele Vono de Vilhena},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-01-01},

journal = {Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie},

volume = {71},

number = {Supplement 1},

pages = {399--428},

abstract = {Using longitudinal data, this chapter studies the development of educational inequalities over the life course in 12–17 different industrialized societies. By comparing highly-standardized country case studies in specific phases of the educational career, it provides evidence of major communalities in modern societies. First, the cross-national findings show that educational inequalities are created and perpetuated in family settings, early in a child's life, long before children start school. Children from less privileged families are the ones who are least likely to attend high-quality institutions, and if they do, their gains are only moderate and generally too small to effectively counteract the family influence. When children are in school, the comparative analyses demonstrate that socioeconomically-advantaged families manage to secure the “pole positions” in education for their children, regardless of the organizational specificities of the school system across different countries. They always succeed in strategically exploiting various opportunities provided by different school systems. Finally, the cross-national comparisons of adult learning over the life course show a strong cumulative advantage: Adult learning tends to reproduce and reinforce the outcomes of initial formal education in the later adult life course.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kulic2019,

title = {Social Background and Children's Cognitive Skills: The Role of Early Childhood Education and Care in a Cross-National Perspective},

author = {Nevena Kulic and Jan Skopek and Moris Triventi and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

doi = {10.1146/annurev-soc-073018-022401},

issn = {0360-0572},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-01-01},

journal = {Annual Review of Sociology},

volume = {45},

number = {1},

pages = {557--579},

abstract = {This literature review looks at the current state of research on early childhood education and care (ECEC) from a sociological point of view. We summarize how children's experiences and benefits from participation in ECEC are related to their families' socioeconomic position in modern industrial nations. By bringing together child development and intervention research from economics, education, and psychology with a sociological, social stratification perspective, our report focuses on ECEC as a policy strategy for equalization in early childhood. We argue that two major stratifiers, families and country-specific ECEC settings, need to be considered more closely when we seek to understand the efficacy of early educational interventions in modern societies. While well-targeted educational programs are thought to lower achievement gaps among children from different social backgrounds, a disproportionate use of early education by socioeconomically privileged families may offset the benefits of early interventions. In addition, the current stratification patterns in various nationwide ECEC contexts may further strengthen the gaps in children's (early) achievements.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Geven2018,

title = {How to Increase PhD Completion Rates? An Impact Evaluation of Two Reforms in a Selective Graduate School, 1976–2012},

author = {Koen Geven and Jan Skopek and Moris Triventi},

url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11162-017-9481-z},

doi = {10.1007/s11162-017-9481-z},

issn = {0361-0365},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-08-01},

journal = {Research in Higher Education},

volume = {59},

number = {5},

pages = {529--552},

publisher = {Springer Netherlands},

abstract = {Graduate and doctoral schools around the world struggle to shorten the long time to degree and to prevent high dropout rates. While most of previous research studied individual determinants of PhD completion, we analyze the impact of two structural reforms of the doctoral program on thesis completion at a selective European graduate school. Exploiting a unique PhD dataset covering 30 entry cohorts, we identify reform effects on PhD outcomes using an interrupted time-series regression design. We find that the first reform improved timely completion rates by between 10 and 15 percentage points (according to the specific outcome), whereas the second reform increased completion rates by between 9 and 20 percentage points. Additionally, each reform reduced dropout rates by 7 percentage points. The results are robust to various sensitivity checks. At the end, we discuss lessons learned for those in charge of graduate schools and/or PhD programs.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2018,

title = {Book review: Hadjar, A. & Gross, C. (Eds.) (2016). Education Systems and Inequalities. International comparisons (Bristol: Policy Press).},

author = {Jan Skopek},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Acta Sociologica},

volume = {61},

number = {1},

pages = {97--99},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Leopold2018,

title = {Gender Convergence in Housework Time: A Life Course and Cohort Perspective},

author = {Thomas Leopold and Jan Skopek and Florian Schulz},

doi = {10.15195/v5.a13},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Sociological Science},

volume = {May 31},

abstract = {Knowledge about gender convergence in housework time is confined to changes studied across repeated cross-sections of data. This study adds a dynamic view that links broader social shifts in men's and women's housework time to individual life-course profiles. Using panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (1985–2015), our analysis is the first to trace changes in housework time across the entire adult life course (ages 20–90) and across a large range of cohorts (1920–1990). The results revealed two types of gender convergence in housework time. First, the gender gap converged across the life course, narrowing by more than 50 percent from age 35 until age 70. Life-course profiles of housework time were strongly gendered, as women's housework time peaked in younger adulthood and declined thereafter, whereas men's housework time remained stably low for decades and increased only in older age. Second, the gender gap converged across cohorts, narrowing by 40 percent from cohorts 1940 until 1960. Cohort profiles of housework time showed strong declines in women and moderate increases in men. Both cohort trends were linear and extended to the most recently born, supporting the notion of continued convergence in housework time.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2018a,

title = {Explaining Gender Convergence in Housework Time: Evidence from a Cohort-Sequence Design},

author = {Jan Skopek and Thomas Leopold},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soy119},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Social Forces},

volume = {December 1},

abstract = {This study connects two lines of research—trend studies on social change in housework time and life-course studies on individual- and couple-level change in housework time. This novel approach allowed us to link the macro-level trend of gender convergence in housework time to the micro-level mechanisms underlying it. Using long-running panel data (SOEP), we implemented a cohort-sequence design that followed two birth cohorts (1960 and 1975) of West German men and women from age 25 until age 40. Regression and decomposition methods yielded four central findings. First, the gender gap in housework time narrowed by 40 percent from the 1960 cohort to the 1975 cohort. Second, women's cohort declines in housework time unfolded with age, as the steep life-course increase found in the 1960 cohort leveled off in the 1975 cohort. Men's increases in housework time were constant across the age range studied. Third, an extensive set of time-varying indicators for absolute and relative resources, union formation, fertility, and household conditions accounted for 77 percent of cohort changes in women's housework time but only for 12 percent of changes in men's housework time. In total, the covariates considered in our models explained 55 percent of gender convergence from the 1960 cohort to the 1975 cohort. Fourth, individual age trajectories underlying this trend remained mostly unexplained, notably women's shift from a steep rise to a flat line. We conclude that life-course factors driving change in housework time may still hold potential for further gender convergence.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2017a,

title = {Who becomes a grandparent – and when? Educational differences in the chances and timing of grandparenthood},

author = {Jan Skopek and Thomas Leopold},

url = {https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol37/29/},

doi = {10.4054/DemRes.2017.37.29},

issn = {1435-9871},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-10-01},

journal = {Demographic Research},

volume = {37},

pages = {917--928},

abstract = {Background: Despite recent advances, the demographic understanding of grandparenthood remains limited. Objective: Our study examines educational differences in the transition to grandparenthood. Comparing East and West Germany, we analyze educational differences in a) the chance of becoming a grandparent, and b) the timing of grandparenthood for both men and women. Methods: We used fertility data across three family generations (German Ageing Survey},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Leopold2016,

title = {Retirement and Changes in Housework: A Panel Study of Dual Earner Couples},

author = {Thomas Leopold and Jan Skopek},

url = {https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/geronb/gbw121},

doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbw121},

issn = {1079-5014},

year  = {2016},

date = {2016-09-01},

journal = {The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences},

volume = {73},

number = {4},

pages = {733--743},

abstract = {Objectives To examine how transitions to retirement influenced the division of household labor in dual earner couples. We tested hypotheses about changes (a) between a couple's preretirement and postretirement stage and (b) across the transitional phase during which both spouses retired. Method We estimated fixed-effects models for the effects of the husband's and the wife's retirement on changes in their hours and share of routine housework. The data came from 29 waves of the German Socio-economic Panel Study, comprising N = 31,040 annual observations of N = 3,288 dual earner couples aged 45 to 75 years. Results Spouses who retired first performed more housework, whereas their partners who continued working performed less. This occurred irrespective of the retirement sequence. Husbands who retired first doubled up on their share of housework, but never performed more than 40% of a couple's total hours. None of the observed shifts were permanent. After both spouses had retired, couples reverted to their preretirement division of housework. Discussion Although the findings on changes after retirement support the time availability hypothesis, gender construction theories still take precedence in explaining the division of household labor over the life course.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Leopold2015c,

title = {The Demography of Grandparenthood: An International Profile},

author = {Thomas Leopold and Jan Skopek},

url = {https://academic.oup.com/sf/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/sf/sov066},

doi = {10.1093/sf/sov066},

issn = {0037-7732},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-12-01},

journal = {Social Forces},

volume = {94},

number = {2},

pages = {801--832},

abstract = {This comparative study addressed three open questions about the demography of grandparenthood in contemporary societies: First, at what age do people become grandparents? Second, how is grandparenthood sequenced with other transitions in later life? Third, how long is the grandparent life stage? To answer these questions, we analyzed retrospective data from the United States (NSFH) and 24 European countries (GGS, ESS, DEAS). Using survival methods, we estimated (1) age at grandparenthood; (2) demographic overlap with parenting, worker, and filial roles; and (3) expected length of the grandparent life stage. Three central findings emerged from the analysis: First, the timing of grandparenthood varies strongly across countries. Cross-national differences in the median age at grandparenthood are larger than in age at parenthood, age at retirement, and life expectancy. Compared to the United States (49 years among women, 52 years among men), grandparenthood in Eastern Europe occurs up to three years earlier in life; in Western Europe, up to eight years later. Second, cross-national variation in the life-course context of grandparenthood is less pronounced. In all countries, grandparenthood overlaps rarely with active parenting but frequently with worker and filial roles. Third, the length of the grandparent life stage is more strongly influenced by the timing of fertility than by the timing of mortality. The longest years of life shared with grandchildren (35 years) are expected among grandmothers in East Germany and the United States; the shortest (21 years) among grandfathers in West Germany and Spain.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kosyakova2015,

title = {Do Interviewers Manipulate Responses to Filter Questions? Evidence from a Multilevel Approach},

author = {Yuliya Kosyakova and Jan Skopek and Stephanie Eckman},

url = {https://academic.oup.com/ijpor/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/ijpor/edu027},

doi = {10.1093/ijpor/edu027},

issn = {0954-2892},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-09-01},

journal = {International Journal of Public Opinion Research},

volume = {27},

number = {3},

pages = {417--431},

abstract = {This study provides a theoretically guided analysis of how interviewers might manipulate responses to filter questions (‘triggering rate') in survey interviews. Drawing on principal-agent theory, we examined how the triggering rate varies by survey mode and across interviewers' experience with the survey. Using data from a German survey and multilevel models, we find that interviewers do influence filter questions. Most intriguingly, there is an interaction between mode and experience: with increasing experience interviewers in CATI mode (higher monitoring and hourly payment) tend to collect more positive answers to the filter questions, while interviewers in CAPI mode (lower monitoring and case-based payment) tend to collect fewer. Our results suggest that manipulative interview behavior regarding questionnaire filtering exists and varies across incentive structures.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Leopold2015a,

title = {Convergence or Continuity? The Gender Gap in Household Labor After Retirement},

author = {Thomas Leopold and Jan Skopek},

url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jomf.12199},

doi = {10.1111/jomf.12199},

issn = {00222445},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-08-01},

journal = {Journal of Marriage and Family},

volume = {77},

number = {4},

pages = {819--832},

abstract = {This research examined 2 hypotheses about the effect of retirement on couples' division of household labor. The continuity hypothesis posits that the gender gap in household labor remains unaffected by retirement, whereas the convergence hypothesis expects it to close. The authors tested these hypotheses using longitudinal data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel Study (N = 1,302 couples). Fixed effects models revealed that male breadwinners doubled up on total hours of household labor across their transition to retirement. This rise was accompanied by a concurrent, albeit less pronounced, decline in wives' hours. As a result, the gender gap in household labor was cut in half. This convergence involved a moderate trade‐off in female‐typed tasks of routine housework and an increase in husbands' hours spent on male‐typed tasks of repairs and gardening. The study concludes that gendered patterns of time use change substantially after retirement, rendering couples' division of household labor more equitable in later life.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2015,

title = {Book review: Häring, Armando, Thomas Klein, Johannes Staude und Kristian Stoye (Eds.): Der Partnermarkt und die Gelegenheiten des Kennenlernens. Der Partnermarktsurvey (Wiesbaden: Springer VS).},

author = {Jan Skopek},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-01-01},

journal = {Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie},

volume = {67},

number = {3},

pages = {606--610},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Leopold2015b,

title = {The Delay of Grandparenthood: A Cohort Comparison in East and West Germany},

author = {Thomas Leopold and Jan Skopek},

url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jomf.12169},

doi = {10.1111/jomf.12169},

issn = {00222445},

year  = {2015},

date = {2015-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Marriage and Family},

volume = {77},

number = {2},

pages = {441--460},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Leopold2014,

title = {Gender and the Division of Labor in Older Couples: How European Grandparents Share Market Work and Childcare},

author = {Thomas Leopold and Jan Skopek},

url = {https://academic.oup.com/sf/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/sf/sou061},

doi = {10.1093/sf/sou061},

issn = {0037-7732},

year  = {2014},

date = {2014-09-01},

journal = {Social Forces},

volume = {93},

number = {1},

pages = {63--91},

abstract = {Grandmothers provide far more childcare than grandfathers do. The present study investigated whether, and to what extent, this gender gap was explained by grandparent couples' division of labor into market work and childcare. The analysis was based on panel data from two waves of the SHARE, comprising respondents from 10 European countries. Linear regression models yielded four main findings. First, the average trade-off between hours of market work and childcare within grandparent couples was one for six. Second, transitions to retirement narrowed the gender gap in grandparenting: if a single-earning grandfather retired, his share of a couple's total grandparenting hours increased by more than 50 percent. Third, controlling for couples' division of market work, the gender gap in grandparenting was smallest in the north and largest in the south of Europe, corresponding to a geographical gradient in the family-state division of caring responsibilities and the societal framing of gender roles. Fourth, in egalitarian and traditional countries, the effects of market work arrangements were relatively weak, suggesting the primacy of gender norms as a macro-level force governing the division of childcare in grandparent couples.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Zillmann2014,

title = {Survey topic and unit nonresponse: Evidence from an online survey on mating},

author = {Doreen Zillmann and Andreas Schmitz and Jan Skopek and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

doi = {10.1007/s11135-013-9880-y},

issn = {15737845},

year  = {2014},

date = {2014-01-01},

journal = {Quality and Quantity},

volume = {48},

number = {4},

pages = {2069--2088},

abstract = {Survey topic as a factor influencing participation rates is becoming increasingly important, as there is a growing trend in social science research for surveying specific populations about specific topics. Previous research has shown that respondents with high topic interest (often referred to as salience) are more likely to participate in surveys. However, the identification of mechanisms that affect respondents' interest in a survey topic has been largely neglected in research literature. We present an explanatory model of participation that conceptualizes topic interest as a function of an actor's relational position in a particular social setting. To illustrate the relationship between survey topic and participation behavior, we use an online survey on mating conducted on the user population of an online dating site. For our nonresponse analysis we use web-generated process data, consisting of profile and interaction data, which describe all units of the sample frame. Thus, comprehensive information is available for both participants and non-participants of the online survey on an individual level, enabling a particularly accurate analysis of nonresponse. Results show that the probability of participation varies according to a user's chances of success on the mating market. Users who can be described as less attractive (e.g. older people, less educated men, overweight women) show a higher probability of participation, which we explain with the mechanism of topic salience. We conclude with general implications regarding (1) the relationship between survey topic and survey participation and (2) the potential of web-generated process data for (online) survey research.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2011a,

title = {Who Contacts Whom? Educational Homophily in Online Mate Selection},

author = {Jan Skopek and Florian Schulz and H -P Blossfeld},

url = {https://academic.oup.com/esr/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/esr/jcp068},

doi = {10.1093/esr/jcp068},

issn = {0266-7215},

year  = {2011},

date = {2011-04-01},

journal = {European Sociological Review},

volume = {27},

number = {2},

pages = {180--195},

abstract = {Data from an online dating platform are used to study the importance of education for initiating and replying to online contacts. We analyse how these patterns are influenced by educational homophily and opportunity structures. Social exchange theory and mate search theory are used to explain online mate selection behaviour. Our results show that educational homophily is the dominant mechanism in online mate choice. Similarity in education significantly increases the rate of both sending and replying to initial contacts. After controlling for the opportunity structure on the platform, the preference for similar educated others is the most important factor, particularly among women. Our results also support the exchange theoretical idea that homophily increases with educational level. If dissimilarity contacting patterns are found, women are highly reluctant to contact partners with lower educational qualifications. Men, in contrast, do not have any problems to contact lower-qualified women. Studies of educational homogamy generally show that couples where women have a higher level of education are rare. Our study demonstrates that this is mainly the result of women's reluctance to contact lower qualified men.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2011,

title = {The gendered dynamics of age preferences - Empirical evidence from online dating},

author = {Jan Skopek and Andreas Schmitz and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

issn = {14372940},

year  = {2011},

date = {2011-01-01},

journal = {Zeitschrift fur Familienforschung},

volume = {23},

pages = {267--290},

abstract = {This study uses innovative data from online dating to analyze men's and women's preferences regarding the age of a partner. These data include observations on how individuals behaved on online dating platforms as well as information on which preferences individuals stated in a survey from an online panel. The paper analyzes how male and female age preferences can be explained by an individual's own age, preferences for other traits, and own market-relevant traits that are favorable or unfavorable for others. Our results show that age preferences essentially shift with age, but in different ways for men and women: Whereas men increasingly prefer younger women as they age, women's age preferences become increasingly diverse. They also show that age preferences are confounded with gender-specific preferences for attractiveness and education. Finally, preferences for age also vary with marketrelevant traits such as education and parenthood, but not with prior marital experience. Altogether, our analyses point to a gender-specific decline in mate value with differential consequences for men's and women's mating preferences.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Schulz2010,

title = {Partnerwahl als konsensuelle Entscheidung. Das Antwortverhalten bei Erstkontakten im Online-Dating},

author = {Florian Schulz and Jan Skopek and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11577-010-0107-0},

doi = {10.1007/s11577-010-0107-0},

issn = {0023-2653},

year  = {2010},

date = {2010-09-01},

journal = {Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie},

volume = {62},

number = {3},

pages = {485--514},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skopek2009,

title = {Partnersuche im Internet},

author = {Jan Skopek and Florian Schulz and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11577-009-0050-0},

doi = {10.1007/s11577-009-0050-0},

issn = {0023-2653},

year  = {2009},

date = {2009-06-01},

journal = {Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie},

volume = {61},

number = {2},

pages = {183--210},

abstract = {In der vorliegenden Studie untersuchen wir die Bedeutung der Bildung im Prozess der Partnerwahl auf „digitalen Heiratsmärkten“. Hierzu werten wir einen einzigartigen Datensatz einer Online-Kontaktbörse aus, der es ermöglicht, frühe Phasen des Partnerwahlprozesses von Männern und Frauen bei der Online-Partnersuche anhand des wechselseitigen elektronischen Nachrichtenverkehrs anonymisiert zu rekonstruieren. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen zunächst eine klare Tendenz zu bildungshomophilem Kontaktverhalten, also einer Partnerwahl „auf Augenhöhe“. Unsere Resultate stützen zudem die austauschtheoretische Hypothese, dass die Bildungshomophilie mit dem Niveau der eigenen Bildung stark zunimmt; dies zeigt sich gerade bei Frauen recht stark. In bildungsheterophilen Konstellationen zeigen Frauen eine deutliche Abneigung, sich bildungsmäßig „abwärts“ zu orientieren; zudem kontaktieren sie auch absolut häufiger Partner mit höheren Bildungsabschlüssen. Bei den Männern ist dies umgekehrt. Sie kontaktieren häufig Partnerinnen mit niedrigerem Bildungsniveau. Unsere Ergebnisse sprechen insgesamt für eine weitgehende Übertragung traditioneller geschlechtsspezifischer Suchstrategien in die neuen digitalen Heiratsmärkte und dämpfen die in der Literatur verbreitete Annahme, das Internet wirke eher sozial öffnend als schließend.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Schmitz2009,

title = {Indicating mate preferences by mixing survey and process-generated data. The case of attitudes and behaviour in online mate search},

author = {Andreas Schmitz and Jan Skopek and Florian Schulz and Doreen Klein and Hans-Peter Blossfeld},

issn = {01726404},

year  = {2009},

date = {2009-01-01},

journal = {Historical Social Research},

volume = {34},

pages = {77--93},

abstract = {Web-based process-generated data is produced by social agency of users and recorded by the respective provider without any originally scientific purpose. We support our idea of advantageous applications of process-generated data by outlining a research example that uses data generated by email contacting on an online dating website for the investigation of mate preferences. This approach follows the paradigm of indicating or 'revealing' preferences by observing choosing acts. Advantages and disadvantages of this approach in comparison to the traditional 'stated preference'- paradigm of survey research are discussed. Both approaches suffer different informational restrictions and induce different problems of valid inference. In conclusion we offer an outlook towards research strategies of an integration of the two quantitative paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Schmitz2009a,

title = {Die Integration von Befragungs-und Prozessdaten einer Online-Kontaktbörse},

author = {A Schmitz and D Klein and Jan Skopek and Florian Schulz},

url = {http://www.gesis.org/fileadmin/upload/dienstleistung/fachinformationen/servicepublikationen/sofid/Fachbeitraege/Methoden_09-01-02_FB.pdf%5Cnpapers3://publication/uuid/3E2F7622-B88D-437E-8A41-2A8388132AC7},

year  = {2009},

date = {2009-01-01},

journal = {Methoden und Instrumente der Sozialwissenschaften},

volume = {1},

pages = {31--44},

abstract = {Zusammenfassung Online-Befragungen stellen mittlerweile ein Standardwerkzeug der empirischen Sozialforschung dar, dessen Potentiale und Grenzen seit längerem diskutiert werden. Im Kontext vieler Internetanwendungen fallen jedoch zusätzliche Daten an, deren ... $backslash$n},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Schulz2008,

title = {Wer nutzt Internetkontaktbörsen in Deutschland? [Who is using internet dating platforms in Germany?]},

author = {Florian Schulz and Jan Skopek and Doreen Klein and Andreas Schmitz},

issn = {14372940},

year  = {2008},

date = {2008-01-01},

journal = {Zeitschrift für Familienforschung [Journal of Family Ressearch]},

volume = {20},

pages = {271--292},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}