Ethnic differences in social capital mobilization at the transition to vocational training in Germany

Authors: Tobias Roth; Markus Weißmann

Project description

In this study, we provide a comprehensive overview of differences between students with and without a migration background in the mobilization of social capital during the transition from secondary level 1 to vocational training in Germany. In addition to retrospective information, we also analyze (hypothetical) prospective information. Furthermore, we distinguish between different types of social contacts and different forms of support. Using data from the first five waves of Starting Cohort 4 of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we find that students rely heavily on their social contacts, with parents playing the most important role. With regard to general information and support, we find only minor ethnic differences in the mobilization of non-institutional social contacts. In contrast, young people with a migrant background tend to receive less concrete support from relatives outside the nuclear family and significantly less from their parents. Our results suggest that the general motivation of non-institutional social contacts to support the transition to vocational training does not differ between natives and migrants. However, the ability of these contacts to provide more specific, instrumental support seems to depend on their host country-specific resources and thus on their migration history.

Publikationen:

Roth, Tobias und Markus Weißmann (2023): "Ethnic Differences in Social Capital Mobilization at the Transition to Vocational Training in Germany." In Education, Competence Development and Career Trajectories: Analysing Data of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), edited by Sabine Weinert, Gwendolin Blossfeld, and Hans-Peter Blossfeld, Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment, 369–401. Cham: Springer. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27007-9.