Educational Reproduction across the Life Course: Timing, Fertility, and Status Transmission

Intergenerational educational reproduction has been widely studied in sociology, but critiques of the predominantly retrospective methodologies have only recently emerged. However, prospective studies also conceptualized educational reproduction as a fixed and stable occurrence, overlooking the dynamic nature of family formation and subsequent status transmission, which unfolds progressively over the life course. Notably, the timing of potential fertility events within an individual's life trajectory—differing markedly among genders and educational levels—can significantly influence the educational opportunities available to offspring in two principal ways. Firstly, delayed entry into the educational system, occasioned by later birth, aligns with phases of educational expansion, potentially enhancing access to higher education. Secondly, fertility postponement can result in reduced fertility rates, which, by reducing sibling competition, may increase the likelihood of higher educational attainment at the familial level.

To capture the dynamic nature of the reproduction process within the life course, we combine prospective analysis of educational reproduction with methods of event history analysis that allow us to model educational reproduction as a function of age. For this, we utilize data from the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) in Great Britain, a comprehensive longitudinal dataset that tracks all individuals born within a single week in the country throughout their life span. This dataset is particularly well-suited for our research objectives, as it provides detailed records of partnership histories, fertility behaviours, educational attainment, as well as extensive information about the cohort member’s children, including their educational trajectories and occupational outcomes. Preliminary findings indicate a temporal disparity in the production of highly educated offspring between women of different educational backgrounds. While lower-educated women exhibit a greater probability of having at least one highly educated child earlier in their life course, this probability is markedly overtaken by higher-educated women in later stages.