Woman getting on train with baby

Less Time Spent Commuting May Also Mean Smaller Wages: How commuting behaviour promotes the motherhood wage penalty

By Thomas Skora, Heiko Rüger & Nico Stawarz (German Federal Institute for Population Research, BiB)
Commuting tends to vary over an individual’s life course: Looking specifically at women entering motherhood, they tend to reduce their commute when transitioning to parenthood. Almost one in three of the mothers surveyed reduced their commuting distance substantially after the birth of the first child, leading to significant wage cuts.

<p>Commuting tends to vary over an individual’s life course: Looking specifically at women entering motherhood, they tend to reduce their commute when transitioning to parenthood. Almost one in three of the mothers surveyed by Thomas Skora, Heiko Rüger & Nico Stawarz (German Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)) reduced their commuting distance substantially after the birth of the first child, leading to significant wage cuts.</p>
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Female-Breadwinner Families on the Breadline

Female-Breadwinner Families on the Breadline

by Agnese Vitali (University of Trento) & Helen Kowalewska (University of Oxford)
A study by Kowalewska and Vitali (2020) suggests it is time for policies to recognise the economic fragility of female-breadwinner couples. The gendered division of paid and unpaid work within couples has transformed across industrialised countries in recent decades. In analysing this change, policymakers and academics have endorsed the ‘social investment’ agenda, promoting a shift from male-breadwinning to ‘dual-breadwinning’ among partners.

<p>A study by Helen Kowalewska (Oxford University) and Agnese Vitali (University of Trento) suggests it is time for policies to recognise the economic fragility of female-breadwinner couples. The gendered division of paid and unpaid work within couples has transformed across industrialised countries in recent decades. In analysing this change, policymakers and academics have endorsed the ‘social investment’ agenda, promoting a shift from male-breadwinning to ‘dual-breadwinning’ among partners.</p>

Event: IV ISA Forum of Sociology: Challenges of the 21st Century: Democracy, Environment, Inequalities, Intersectionality

IV ISA Forum of Sociology: Challenges of the 21st Century: Democracy, Environment, Inequalities, Intersectionality

Tue Feb 23 - Sat Feb 27
The ISA Executive Committee has decided that the IV ISA Forum of Sociology will be held online, starting on February 23, 2021. All activities that have been prepared will be maintained and the abstracts selected for the Forum initially planned in July 2020 remain valid for the Online Forum to be held in February 2021.

The ISA Executive Committee has decided that the IV ISA Forum of Sociology will be held online, starting on February 23, 2021. All activities that have been prepared will be maintained and the abstracts selected for the Forum initially planned in July 2020 remain valid for the Online Forum to be held in February 2021.

Fertility in Nordic Countries During and After Economic Recessions

Fertility in Nordic Countries During and After Economic Recessions

The role of the state, crisis management and global perceptions in changes to total fertility rates
Comolli and colleagues investigated the potential influence of economic recessions on total fertility rate in Nordic countries. They looked at the fertility histories and childbearing risk of native-born women in these countries between the late 1980s to mid-2010s.

Comolli (University of Lausanne) and colleagues investigated the potential influence of economic recessions on total fertility rate in Nordic countries. They looked at the fertility histories and childbearing risk of native-born women in these countries between the late 1980s to mid-2010s.

Event: Lost in Transition? Women in Rural and Underserved Communities

Lost in Transition? Women in Rural and Underserved Communities

Fri Dec 4
What policy measures could help provide more attractive living conditions and better and innovative job opportunities for women in these communities? What support is needed for women to become a motor for economic growth and sustainable development in rural areas?
A Long-Term Vision for the Development of Rural Areas in Europe

A Long-Term Vision for the Development of Rural Areas in Europe

Insights from demography
Download Population and Policy Brief 27/2020 (543.36 KB)
Population decline in rural areas has recently gained importance on the European Union’s (EU) agenda and is currently among the priorities related to demographic change for the Vice-President for Democracy and Demography of the European Commission. A previous Population Europe policy brief provided recommendations on how rural areas can respond to these population changes while offering a good quality of life (Lines, 2020). In this current policy brief, eminent demography scholars present key insights from the discipline, aiming to contribute to the current debates on the future of rural areas in Europe.

Population decline in rural areas has recently gained importance on the European Union’s (EU) agenda and is currently among the priorities related to demographic change for the Vice-President for Democracy and Demography of the European Commission. In this current policy brief, eminent demography scholars present key insights from the discipline, aiming to contribute to the current debates on the future of rural areas in Europe.

Five Centuries of Socio-Economic Inequality in Barcelona and Its Hinterland

Five Centuries of Socio-Economic Inequality in Barcelona and Its Hinterland

This unique long-term analysis carried out by the Centre for Demographic Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (CED-UAB) estimates the evolution of economic inequality for Barcelona and its hinterland over five centuries (1481-1905). It concludes that inequality was higher in pre-industrial times.

This unique long-term analysis carried out by the Centre for Demographic Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (CED-UAB) estimates the evolution of economic inequality for Barcelona and its hinterland over five centuries (1481-1905). It concludes that inequality was higher in pre-industrial times.

The Importance of the Kid Next Door

The Importance of the Kid Next Door

Role of social class and neighbourhoods in educational achievement
Finn Hedefalk and Martin Dribe (Centre for Economic Demography and the Department of Economic History, Lund University) looked at the association between neighbourhood conditions throughout childhood and educational attainment in adulthood. Unlike existing research that has focused on present-day and segregated cities in the United States, Hedefalk and Dribe take a long-term perspective and examine the impact of one’s neighbourhood in a more homogenous city in Sweden.

Finn Hedefalk and Martin Dribe (Centre for Economic Demography and the Department of Economic History, Lund University) looked at the association between neighbourhood conditions throughout childhood and educational attainment in adulthood. Unlike existing research that has focused on present-day and segregated cities in the United States, Hedefalk and Dribe take a long-term perspective and examine the impact of one’s neighbourhood in a more homogenous city in Sweden.

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