PhD SeminarCulture as a Determinant of Intergenerational Education Mobility - Cross Country Evidence from PISA 2012Kathrin Thiemann, University of Hamburg, 12:15–13:15, Room 0029 (VMP 5)

26. Mai 2016

Kathrin Thiemann, University of Hamburg, 12:15–13:15, Room 0029 (VMP 5)

Abstract:
This paper analyzes how the impact of family background on student achievement differs between countries. The impact of family background is thereby measured by the years of education of the student's parents. The data used for estimation is from PISA 2012. Among the factors that cause country differences in intergenerational education mobility, the focus is on country-specific (family) culture. Measures for culture are mainly derived from a question in the World Values Survey about important child qualities. Including these measures in interactions with parents education, an education production function is estimated including more than 50 countries. Moreover the data on students' immigration background is used in order to identify disadvantages in education mobility due to cultural background. We find that disadvantages caused by family background can be overcome more easily in competitive countries. Countries in which religious faith plays a big role in families have lower mobility between generations. Qualities like hard work or determination that parents value in their children do not seem to play a role.