Explaining Cross-National Differences in Social Background Effects: What Have We Learned?

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter provides an overview of economic, cultural and institutional narratives capable of explaining cross-national variation in the consequences of childhood disadvantage for socio-demographic outcomes in adulthood. However, testing these explanations is often hard, given a series of methodological challenges. Next, the ways in which the Contexts of Opportunity Project has tackled these challenges and its key results are presented. Childhood disadvantage has pervasive consequences for demographic outcomes in young adulthood and socio-economic and well-being outcomes in later adulthood. Strong cross-national variation in the strength of these relationships is observed, though. Childhood disadvantage often seems to have weaker consequences in more individualized societies. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future challenges for demographic research on cross-national differences.