Longitudinal effects of social background on educational and occupational pathways within early and strong school tracking

Authors

  • Robin Samuel Center on Poverty and Inequality Stanford University 30 Alta Road Stanford, CA 94305
  • Manfred Max Bergman Social Research and Methodology Department of Social Sciences Petersgraben 11 4051 Basel Switzerland and Fellow of the African Doctoral Academy and the Centre of Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
  • Sandra Hupka-Brunner Social Research and Methodology Department of Social Sciences Petersgraben 11 4051 Basel Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14301/llcs.v5i1.258

Keywords:

Transition, Tracking, Social Background, Pathways, Labour Market Entry

Abstract

Transitions from education to work are subject to person-related factors and institutional opportunity structures. Life course research increasingly focuses on longitudinal effects of social background on educational and occupational pathways within early and strong school tracking. In this context, Switzerland is a paradoxical case because its education system exhibits elements that should both reinforce and weaken social background effects. We draw on data from a PISA 2000 school-leaver cohort. Employing sequence analysis, optimal matching and longitudinal latent class analysis, we find that persistence tendencies are more pronounced in the academic stratum, compared to vocational and precarious strata. Conversely, the education system and labour market allow for a good integration of weak academic performers. Overall, we show that social background and performance determine selection into tracks, after which effects of opportunity structures take over.

Author Biographies

Robin Samuel, Center on Poverty and Inequality Stanford University 30 Alta Road Stanford, CA 94305

Affiliated Researcher, Social Research and Methodology Group, University of Basel, Switzerland, and Visiting Scholar, University of Stanford.

Manfred Max Bergman, Social Research and Methodology Department of Social Sciences Petersgraben 11 4051 Basel Switzerland and Fellow of the African Doctoral Academy and the Centre of Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Full Professor, Social Research and Methodology Group, University of Basel, Switzerland.

Sandra Hupka-Brunner, Social Research and Methodology Department of Social Sciences Petersgraben 11 4051 Basel Switzerland

Senior Researcher, Social Research and Methodology Group, University of Basel, Switzerland.

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Published

2013-12-28

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2014): Longitudinal and Life Course Studies

Section

Papers

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