Volume 6 - Article 8 | Pages 191–240  

Political Economy and Life Course Patterns: The Heterogeneity of Occupational, Family and Household Trajectories of Young Spaniards

By Pau Baizan, Francesca Michielin, Francesco Billari

Abstract

We explore the strong linkages between macro changes and the dynamics of educational, occupational, family, and residential careers of young Spanish adults born between 1945 and 1974. We review theory and evidence on macro factors: changes in the welfare system, centrality of the family as a service provider, and the changing role of women. We outline some hypotheses of how life course trajectories, and their heterogeneity, change across cohorts. We build data on sequences of states using FFS.
In our analysis, we find an increase in the discontinuity of careers and of the heterogeneity among cohort members, especially for employment. Women's careers are becoming more similar to those of men. Family and household formation is postponed, with a limited spread of post-nuclear family forms.

Author’s Affiliation

• Pau Baizan - Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain EMAIL
• Francesca Michielin - Universiteit van Amsterdam, the Netherlands EMAIL
• Francesco Billari - Università Bocconi, Italy EMAIL

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