scholarly journals Socioeconomic background and gene-environment interplay in social stratification across the early life course

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jani Erola ◽  
Hannu Lehti ◽  
Tina Baier ◽  
Aleksi Karhula
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Shared Environment ◽  
Children's Education ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Children’S Education ◽  
The Impact

To what extent are genetic effects on children’s education, occupational standing, and income shaped by their parents’ socioeconomic characteristics? Does the impact vary over their children’s early life course, and are there differences across the social strata? We studied these research questions with Finnish register-based data on 6,542 pairs of twins born from 1975 to 1986. We applied the classical twin design to estimate the relative importance of genes. As outcomes, we compared education, occupation, and income in early adulthood. We found that shared environment influences were negligible in all cases. Notably, the proportion of genetic effects explained by parental characteristics mattered most for education and for occupation only because they were associated with their children’s education—but not for income. We did not find any variation across their early life course; however, we found that genetic influences were stronger among the advantaged families for income and education. Thus, gene-environment interactions (GxE) operate differently for different status-related characteristics. For the unique environment, the pattern was consistent across outcomes as the effect was greater among the advantaged families. Stratification scholars should therefore emphasize the importance of the unique environment as one of the drivers of the intergenerational transmission of social inequalities.

A liminal approach to parents in leadership positions in schools with students of high socioeconomic background in Israel

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-111
Author(s):  
Audrey Addi-Raccah ◽  
Noa Friedman
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children's Education ◽  
Parent Leaders ◽  
Children’S Education ◽  
Sociological Approaches

Purpose Parents’ collective involvement in their children’s education takes the form of holding leadership positions in schools. Employing the concept of liminality, which is used in anthropological and sociological approaches, the purpose of this paper is to explore the features of parent leadership in schools (PLS). Design/methodology/approach Interviews were conducted with 18 individuals: 11 chairpersons and 7 members of the parent leadership of 11 primary schools in Israel attended by students of high socioeconomic backgrounds. Findings Data analyses disclose PLS as a liminal framework, which constitutes both formal and informal dimensions, whether these be its in-school limited activities or out-of-school actions in introducing change and supporting the institutions. PLS’s functions are restricted by school principals, but simultaneously enhance school principals’ position. Practical implications The study’s findings carry implications for school collaboration with external entities. School principals need to support PLS and keep encouraging entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. There is a need for acknowledging the value of PLS’s contributions whereas policy makers must provide more guidelines and support to parent leaders. Originality/value The study focuses on exploring the position of collective parental involvement in schools. This issue is of significance in a time where parents gain more responsibility over their children’s education and schools support more collaborative relationships with external agencies. The study highlights the benefits of parents in leadership positions for school benefits and for school principals’ legitimacy, from the approach of liminality.

Transgenerational Transmission of Stress Pathology

2015 ◽  
Vol 223 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarete Bolten
Keyword(s):  
Life Stress ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life Stress ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Stressful Experiences ◽  
Rats And Mice ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Identical Gene

Abstract. The impact of the environment early in life on long-term outcomes is well known. Stressful experiences during pre- and postnatal development can modulate the genetic programming of specific brain circuits underlying emotional and cognitive aspects of behavioral adaptation to stressful experiences later in life. Furthermore, there is documented evidence for gene-environment interactions in the context of early-life stress. Identical gene variants can be associated with different phenotypes depending on environmental factors. DNA methylation, an enzymatically-catalyzed modification of the DNA, is the mechanism through which phenotypes are regulated. The dynamics and plasticity of epigenetic mechanisms can have short-term, long-term, or transgenerational consequences. In epigenetic research, rodent models have targeted several behavioral and emotional phenotypes. These models have contributed significantly to our understanding of the environmental regulation of the developmental brain in early life. This review will highlight studies with rats and mice on epigenetic processes in fetal programming of stress-related mental disorders.

Social origin and the risks of disadvantage in Denmark and Norway: the early life course of young adults

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Øyvind Nicolay Wiborg ◽  
Rasmus Juul Møberg
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Market Regulation ◽  
Social Origin ◽  
Generational Transmission ◽  
Labour Market Regulation ◽  
Absolute Probability ◽  
The Impact

This study uses comparable Danish and Norwegian administrative registers in the period 1992 to 2003 to examine how social origin affects unemployment risks and social assistance reception over the early life course. Denmark and Norway have traditionally been viewed as similar in political, cultural and social aspects. However, labour market regulation in Denmark is more liberal than in Norway. This study therefore serves as a unique comparison of the impact of social origin under varying conditions of labour market regulation. Although the absolute probability of being disadvantaged decreases as individuals progress in age from 20 to 30 and varies between Denmark and Norway, the relative impact of social background is stable and similar. The results offer little support to theories that put a strong emphasis on inter-generational transmission through educational achievements, but rather point toward the importance of ascriptive resources. Generalised estimating equations are used to assess the repeated outcomes.

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