Educational differences in the chances and timing of grandparenthood

Who becomes a grandparent – and when? Educational differences in the chances and timing of grandparenthood. Jan Skopek and Thomas Leopold. Demographic Research, Vol 37, article 29, pages 917-928. http://www.demographic-research.org/Volumes/Vol37/29/

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, N= 2,434 men and women born 1933‒1948) and methods of survival time analysis to study educational gradients in the transition to grandparenthood.

RESULTS: We found a strong educational gradient in the chances of grandparenthood among West German  women:  Lower-educated  women’s  chances  of  becoming  a  grandmother  were similar to higher-educated women’s chances of becoming a mother.

CONCLUSIONS: Our  findings  have  implications  for  research  on  multi-generational  social  mobility  and on the consequences of grandparenthood.

CONTRIBUTION: Our  study  is  the  first  to  analyze  how  the  transition  to  grandparenthood  is  socially stratified.