ZEITSCHRIFT FUR BEVOLKERUNGSWISSENSCHAFT

Germany (Wiesbaden) 43

1998 - VOLUME 23, NUMBER 1

99.43.1 - German - Bettina BRÄUNINGER, Andreas LANGE and Kurt LÜSCHER

'Burden of age' and 'war between generations'? Relations between generations in current non-finction books ("Alterslast" und "Krieg zwischen den Generationen" ? Generationenbeziehungen in aktuellen Sachbuchtexten) (p. 3-17)

At the present time - as in past phases of social upheaval - the relationships between generations are receiving a high degree of attention. There are even predictions of a "War of the Generations." Well-known authors of non-fiction books are using these metaphors, referring largely to demographic data. This dramatisation is also being taken up by the press. With a method that is described as a "rhetorically accentuated analysis of contents and discourse," this article presents the specific lines of argumentation of three widely-sold non-fiction books, (Hans Mohl "Die Altersexplosion. Droht uns ein Krieg der Generationen"?; Reimer Gronemeyer "Die Entfernung vom Wolfsrudel. Über den drohenden Krieg der Jungen gegen die Alten"; Heidi Schüller "Die Alterslüge. Für einen neuen Generationenvertrag"), and elaborates the inherent dynamics that are characteristic of this type of book. This contrasts with the reticence found in sociological texts. This comparison points out the difficulties of social time diagnoses and the special importance of demographic facts, as well as the necessity of their interpretation by experts. (GERMANY, BOOK REVIEWS, GENERATION GAP)

99.43.2 - German - Gert HULLEN

Children of divorced couple - The transmission of the risk to get divorced (Scheidungskinder - oder : Die Transmission des Scheidungsrisikos) (p. 19-38)

The close look was taken at the following: Were children of parents who had divorced also subject to a higher divorce rate? Does the age of the children at the time of parental divorce play a role? Is the number of siblings of importance for later marriage stability, and are children of divorced parents different with regard to their attitudes toward family, profession and children? The Family and Fertility Survey, conducted in 1992 with 20-39 year-olds, served as the empirical base. It became apparent that the life course of children of divorced parents does not differ from other respondents, as far as completion of education, beginning of a partnership and the first child are concerned. The children of divorced parents separated earlier from their spouses, however, and also from the partners of consensual unions. The highest risk of separation was found in women who were under 14 years of age at the time of parental divorce. The risk declined as the age at the time of divorce increased, and for men the risk was lower anyhow. The obvious existent inter-generational transmission of risk of divorce can be explained, in part, by the fact that children affected by divorce at an early age learned that this can be a mode of solving conflicts. They place greater value on the "benefits" of a separation and less value on the "costs". Possibly their own experience makes life in a bi-nuclear family system appear to be positive. Contrary to this thesis is the fact that divorces continue to be associated with negative evaluations of marriage and family, women also have more positive attitudes about occupation and career than do children of non-divorced parents. (GERMANY, DIVORCE, SEPARATION, FAMILY STABILITY)

99.43.3 - German - Marion OSTERMEIER and Hans-Peter BLOSSFELD

Residential property and divorce. A longitudinal analysis of the impact of purchased and inherited residential property on the process of divorce (Wohneigentum und Ehescheidung : Eine Längsschnittanalyse über den Einfluß gekauften und geerbten Wohneigentums auf den Prozeß der Ehescheidung) (p. 39-54)

The conditions and consequences of self-owned residential property in the course of life have been widely ignored in sociology thus far. The report on hand aims to take a closer look at the specific connection between self-owned residential property and divorce. It shows that residential property owners have much more stable marriages than those who rent their properties. It appears that they are more capable of observing their longer-term commitments. The inheritance of self-used residential property even strengthens this effect. Here, in particular, the symbolic meaning of inherited property and the social embedding in the net of family and relatives can be observed. For these families, inherited residential property represents a main vertical axis, that is, one between generations, and a horizontal axis of a social net that should not be put to risk, if possible. (GERMANY, OWNERSHIP, RESIDENCE, INHERITANCE, DIVORCE)

99.43.4 - German - Hans-Joachim BÜRKNER

Residential segregation among the 'Aussiedler' (ethnic German) population in the Federal Republic of Germany (Kleinräumliche Wohnsegregation von Aussiedlern in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) (p. 55-69)

Residential Segregation among the "Aussiedler" (ethnic German) population in Germany has been an issue of growing interest in public opinion. Yet, there is a significant lack of empirical evidence about problems related to it. This article contributes to the understanding of the appearance, the causes, and the consequences of the socio-residential segregation of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe within selected German cities. Segregation is explained in terms of the ways by which this group gains access to the housing market. Especially, institutional factors, such as the modes of distribution within the public housing sector, are shown to be substantial to it. In spite of high degrees of spatial concentration, the intensity of internal social relations of this group does not reach the level of other equally segregated minorities. (GERMANY, SEGREGATION, IMMIGRANTS, ETHNIC MINORITIES)

Back to Home page