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Dr. Jan Skopek
Associate Professor, Sociology

Biography

Jan Skopek, Dr., is Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology at Trinity College Dublin. He is also Head of Department (Sociology) and Fellow of the Trinity College Dublin. Previously, he held positions as post-doctoral researcher at the State Institute of Family Research at the University of Bamberg, Germany, and as post-doctoral Senior Researcher at the Comparative Life Course and Inequality Research Centre (CLIC) located at the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy. At the EUI, he was part of the research team on the ERC-funded international comparative research project 'Education as a Lifelong Process - Comparing Educational Trajectories in Modern Societies' (eduLIFE). Before that, he headed the Research Data Centre of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) located at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi), Bamberg (Germany). His research relates to family and social stratification, social demography, the life course, cross-national comparison, and quantitative methodology. He is co-editor of several books and is publishing in internationally renowned journals.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Skopek, Jan; Triventi, Moris; Passaretta, Giampiero, Does schooling reduce inequality in academic achievement? Evidence from student population data in Italy, European Consortium for Sociological Research (ECSR), Annual Conference - Addressing Inequalities in Incomplete Revolutions, Barcelona, Spain, 12-14 September 2024, 2024 Oral Presentation, 2024

Passaretta, G and Skopek, J, The role of schooling for equalizing achievement disparity by migrant background, Sociology of Education, 2024 Journal Article, 2024

Passaretta, G.; Skopek, J.; Workman, J., Schools and Socioeconomic Inequality in Achievement. Revisiting the `School Equalization" Hypothesis in the United States, RC28 Spring Meeting - Life Course and Social Inequality in Comparative Perspective, Shanghai, China, May 17-19, 2024 Oral Presentation, 2024

Leesch, Julia; Katrnak, Tomas; Skopek, Jan, Structural Opportunities or Assortative Mating? Decomposing Trends and Country Differences in Educational Sorting Outcomes in Marriages, European Societies, 2024 Journal Article, 2024 URL DOI

Zuzana Zilincikova, Jan Skopek, Thomas Leopold, Children of Separation: An International Profile, Population and Development Review, 49, (4), 2023, p859 - 878 Journal Article, 2023 DOI

Studying mate choice using digital trace data from online dating in, editor(s)Skopek, J. , Research Handbock on Digital Sociology, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2023, pp210 - 240, [Skopek, J.] Book Chapter, 2023 URL DOI

Leesch, J., Skopek, J., Decomposing Trends in Educational Homogamy and Heterogamy - The Case of Ireland, Social Science Research, 110, (February, 102846), 2023 Journal Article, 2023 URL DOI

Sprong, S. L., and Skopek, J. , Childcare Utilisation by Migration Background - Evidence from a Nationally Representative Irish Cohort Study, Research in Social Stratification and Social Mobility, 84, (February), 2023, p100773 Journal Article, 2023 DOI URL

Zilincikova, Z., Skopek, J., Leopold, T., Children of separation: A socio-demographic profile from 13 countries., European Consortium of Sociological Research (ECSR), Annual Conference, "European Societies in times of Uncertainty", Charles University, Prague, September 18-20 2023, 2023 Oral Presentation, 2023

Skopek, J., Research Handbook on Digital Sociology, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2023, 1 - 492pp Book, 2023 DOI URL

Passaretta, G.; Skopek, J.; Workman, J., Schooling exposure and achievement inequality in the U.S. " Revisiting the `equalizer" hypothesis with the differential exposure approach, Spring meeting of the RC28 - Education and Social Inequality across the Life Course, Paris, May 24-26, 2023 Oral Presentation, 2023

Sprong, S and Skopek, J, ECEC as a potential equaliser for achievement gaps by migration background: Evidence from a quasi- experimental population-level study in Ireland, European Consortium of Sociological Research (ECSR), Annual Conference, "European Societies in times of Uncertainty", Charles University, Prague, Sept 18-20 2023, 2023 Oral Presentation, 2023

Introduction and overview to the Research Handbook on Digital Sociology in, editor(s)Skopek, J. , Research Handbook on Digital Sociology, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2023, pp2 - 22, [Skopek, J.] Book Chapter, 2023 DOI

Sprong, S. L. and Skopek, J., The development of host language achievement gaps by migration background during primary school: A path model of educational inequalities, British Educational Research Journal, 49, (6), 2023, p1273-1290 Journal Article, 2023 URL DOI

Passaretta, G., Skopek, J., van Huizen, T., Is social inequality in school-age achievement generated before or during schooling? A European perspective, European Sociological Review, 38, (6), 2022, p849 - 865 Journal Article, 2022

Sprong, S. and Skopek, J., Academic achievement gaps by migration background at school starting age in Ireland, European Societies , 24, (5), 2022, p580 - 604 Journal Article, 2022 DOI

Leesch, J. and Skopek, J., Decomposing Trends in Educational Assortative Mating - The Case of Ireland, Spring meeting of the RC28 - Social Stratification and Social Policy for a Post-Covid19 World, London School of Economics, London, April 21-23, 2022, 2022 Oral Presentation, 2022

Sprong, S. and Skopek, J., Does the "migrant gap" find its roots in the period before formal schooling? A path-model of educational achievement in primary school, Spring meeting of the RC28 - Social Stratification and Social Policy for a Post-Covid19 World, London School of Economics, London, April 21-23, 2022, 2022 Oral Presentation, 2022

Sprong, S and Skopek, J, Differential childcare utilisation patterns by migration background Evidence from a nationally representative Irish cohort study, Spring meeting of the RC28 - Social Stratification and Social Policy for a Post-Covid19 World, London School of Economics, London, April 21-23, 2022, 2022 Poster, 2022

Sprong, S.; Skopek, J., Does the "migrant gap" find its roots in the period before formal schooling? The development of migration-related gaps in language achievement before and during primary school: Longitudinal evidence from children growing up in Ireland, European Consortium for Sociological Research (ECSR), Annual Conference, (online due to Covid-19), October 7-8, 2021 Oral Presentation, 2021

Passaretta, G., Skopek, J. , Does schooling decrease socioeconomic inequality in early achievement? A differential exposure approach. , American Sociological Review, 86, (6), 2021, p1017 - 1042 Journal Article, 2021 DOI

Grandparent status and multigenerational relationships. in, editor(s)Norbert Schneider; Michaela Kreyenfeld , Research Handbook of Sociology of the Family , Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2021, pp278 - 299, [Skopek, J.] Book Chapter, 2021 URL

Skopek, J. and Passaretta, G., Socioeconomic Inequality in Children's Achievement from Infancy to Adolescence: The Case of Germany, Social Forces, 100, (1), 2021, p86 - 112 Journal Article, 2021 DOI

Skopek, J, Leopold, T., Educational reproduction in Germany: A prospective study based on retrospective data, Demography, 57, (4), 2020, p1241 - 1270 Journal Article, 2020 DOI

Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Blossfeld, H.-P., How do institutional factors shape PhD completion rates? An analysis of long-term changes in a European doctoral program, Studies in Higher Education, 47, (2), 2020, p318-337 Journal Article, 2020 URL DOI

Blossfeld, H.-P., Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Kilpi-Jakonen, E., Vono de Vilhena, D. and Buchholz, S., Conditions and consequences of unequal educational opportunities in the life course: Results from the cross-national comparative eduLIFE project, Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie and Sozialpsychologie [Cologne Journal of Sociology and Social Psychology], 71 , (Supplement 1), 2019, p399 - 428 Journal Article, 2019 URL DOI

Skopek, J., Passaretta, G., & Zachrisson, H. , The power of mothers. Maternal education, parenting quality, and cognitive development in early childhood., Spring 2019 Meeting of the ISA RC 28 (Social Stratification and Social Mobility) "Long-term consequences of the Great Recession for stratification, mobility and inequality", Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, March 21-23, 2019 Oral Presentation, 2019

Skopek, J., Leopold, T. , Explaining Gender Convergence in Housework Time: Evidence from a Cohort Sequence Design , Social Forces, 98, (2), 2019, p578 - 621 Journal Article, 2019 DOI

Skopek, J. & Passaretta, G., The Social Stratification of Skills from Infancy to Adolescence - Evidence from an accelerated longitudinal design, Spring 2019 Meeting of the ISA RC 28 (Social Stratification and Social Mobility) "Long-term consequences of the Great Recession for stratification, mobility and inequality), Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, March 21-23, 2019 Poster, 2019

Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Blossfeld, H.-P. , Social Background and Children's Cognitive Skills: The Role of Early Childhood Education and Care in a Cross-National Perspective, Annual Review of Sociology, 45, (1), 2019, p557 - 579 Journal Article, 2019 URL DOI

Triventi, M., Skopek, J., Kulic, N., Buchholz, S., Blossfeld, H.-P., Advantage 'Finds Its Way': How Privileged Families Exploit Opportunities in Different Systems of Secondary Education, Sociology, (online first), 2019 Journal Article, 2019 DOI

How do educational systems affect social inequality of educational opportunities? The role of tracking in comparative perspective in, editor(s)Becker, Rolf , Research Handbook of Sociology of Education, Edward Elgar, 2019, [Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Buchholz, S] Book Chapter, 2019 URL DOI

Passaretta, G., Rözer, J., Skopek, J., van Huizen, T., Van de Werfhorst, H. , Inequality in Various Stages of the Educational Career - Integrative report (WP 1): Lessons and policy implications, 1.0, Dublin, ISOTIS Report for European Commission., 2019 Report, 2019 URL

Passaretta, G.; Skopek, J., Lessons Learned from Five Countries: Summary and Policy Implications (Chapter 7 Conclusions). In: G. Passaretta and J. Skopek (eds.), Roots and Development of Achievement Gaps. A Longitudinal Assessment in Selected European Countries, 2018, 161-167 Report, 2018 URL

Skopek, J.; Passaretta, G., The Evolution of Social and Ethnic Inequalities in Cognitive Achievement from Preschool to Secondary Schooling in the UK. (Chapter 5) In: G. Passaretta and J. Skopek (eds.), Roots and Development of Achievement Gaps. A Longitudinal Assessment in Selected European Countries, 2018, 95-144 Report, 2018 URL

Passaretta, G.; Skopek, J., A Longitudinal and Comparative Study on Achievement Inequality in Europe (Chapter 1 Introduction). In: G. Passaretta and J. Skopek (eds.), Roots and Development of Achievement Gaps. A Longitudinal Assessment in Selected European Countries, 2018, 4-17 Report, 2018 URL

Skopek, J. & Leopold, T., Fertility, Mobility, and Educational Reproduction: A New Method to Estimate Prospective Models Using Retrospective Data., European Population Conference -, University of Brussels, Belgium, June 6-9, 2018 Poster, 2018

Leopold, T., Skopek, J., Schulz, F., Gender Convergence in Housework Time: A Life Course and Cohort Perspective, Sociological Science, 5, (13), 2018, p281 - 303 Journal Article, 2018 DOI

Skopek, J., Book review, Review of Education Systems and Inequalities. International comparisons (2016, Bristol: Policy Press)., by Hadjar, A. & Gross, C. , Acta Sociologica, 2018 Review, 2018 DOI

Passaretta, G.; Skopek, J., From Birth to the End of Compulsory School " Social and Migration-related Achievement Inequality in a Stratified Education System (Chapter 2 Germany). In: G. Passaretta and J. Skopek (eds.), Roots and Development of Achievement Gaps. A Longitudinal Assessment in Selected European Countries, 2018, 18-49 Report, 2018 URL

Passaretta, G., and Skopek, J. , Roots and Development of Achievement Gaps. A Longitudinal Assessment in Selected European Countries, Trinity College Dublin, ISOTIS Report for European Commission., December, 2018 Report, 2018 URL

Skopek, J., Leopold, T., Who becomes a Grandparent - And When? Education and Fertility in Multigenerational Perspective, Demographic Research, 37, 2017, p918 - 928 Journal Article, 2017 URL DOI

Entry to formal childcare and abilities of preschoolers: A comparison of East and West Germany in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , Childcare, Early Education and Social Inequality: An International Perspective, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2017, pp231 - 248, [Skopek, J.] Book Chapter, 2017 DOI URL

Skopek, J., Leopold, T., Educational Reproduction in Germany: A Prospective Approach Based on Retrospective Data, Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility, "Social Inequality and Mobility Revisited: Challenges through recent demographic trends", Cologne, March 30 - April 1, 2017 Oral Presentation, 2017

Blossfeld, H.-P., Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , Childcare, Early Education and Social Inequality: An International Perspective, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2017 Book, 2017 URL DOI

Skopek, J., Van de Werfhorst, H., Rözer, J., Zachrisson, H. D., Van Huizen, T., Inequality in Various Stages of the Educational Career: Patterns and Mechanisms - Literature Review, ISOTIS Report for European Commission., February, 2017 Report, 2017 URL

Geven, K., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , How to Increase PhD Completion Rates? An Impact Evaluation of Two Reforms in a Selective Graduate School, 1976-2012, Research in Higher Education, 2017, p1 - 24 Journal Article, 2017 URL DOI

Blossfeld, H.-P., Buchholz, S., Triventi, M., Skopek, J., Models of Secondary Education and Social Inequality. An International Comparison., Celtenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2016 Book, 2016 DOI URL

Leopold, T., & Skopek, J. , Retirement and Changes in Housework: A Panel Study of Dual Earner Couples., The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Social Sciences, 73, (4), 2016, p733 - 743 Journal Article, 2016 URL DOI

Data Dissemination, Documentation and User Support in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., von Maurice, J., Bayer, M., Skopek, J. , Methodological Issues of Longitudinal Surveys: The Example of the National Educational Panel Study, Wiesbaden, Springer, 2016, pp597 - 609, [Skopek, J., Knut, W., Bela, D., Koberg, T., Munz, M., Fuß, D. ] Book Chapter, 2016 URL DOI

Secondary school differentiation and inequality of educational opportunity in Germany in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Buchholz, S., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , Models of Secondary Education and Social Inequalities: An International Comparison, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2016, pp79 - 92, [Buchholz, S., Skopek, J., Zielonka, M., Ditton, H., Wohlkinger, F., Schier, A. ] Book Chapter, 2016 DOI URL

Blossfeld, H.-P., von Maurice, J., Bayer, M., Skopek, J. , Methodological Issues of Longitudinal Surveys: The Example of the National Educational Panel Study., Wiesbaden, Springer, 2016 Book, 2016 DOI URL

Eheschließungen und Scheidungstrends in der Bevölkerungssoziologie in, editor(s)Nienhaus, Y., Kreyenfeld, M., Sackmann, R. , Handbuch der Bevölkerungssoziologie, Wiesbaden, Springer, 2016, pp277 - 302, [Engelhardt, H., Skopek, J. ] Book Chapter, 2016

Life-Course Data and the Longitudinal Classification of Education in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., von Maurice, J., Bayer, M., Skopek, J. , Methodological Issues of Longitudinal Surveys: The Example of the National Educational Panel Study, Wiesbaden, Springer, 2016, pp669 - 690, [Skopek, J., Munz, M. ] Book Chapter, 2016 URL DOI

RemoteNEPS - An Innovative Research Environment in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., von Maurice, J., Bayer, M., Skopek, J. , Methodological Issues of Longitudinal Surveys: The Example of the National Educational Panel Study, Wiesbaden, Springer, 2016, pp611 - 626, [Skopek, J., Koberg, T., Blossfeld, H.-P. ] Book Chapter, 2016 URL DOI

Blossfeld, H.-P., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Buchholz, S., Gender, Education and Employment. An International Comparison of School-to-Work Transitions., Celtenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2015 Book, 2015 DOI URL

Triventi, M., Skopek, J., Kosyakova, Y., Buchholz, S., Blossfeld, H.-P. , Gender Inequalities at Labor Market Entry: A Comparative View from the eduLIFE Project, Comparative Social Research, 31, 2015, p25 - 51 Journal Article, 2015 DOI URL

Leopold, T., Skopek, J. , Convergence or Continuity? The Gender Gap in Household Labor After Retirement., Journal of Marriage and Family, 77, (4), 2015, p819 - 832 Journal Article, 2015 DOI URL

Leopold T., Skopek J., The demography of grandparenthood: An international profile, Social Forces, 94, (2), 2015, p801-832 Journal Article, 2015 URL DOI

Skopek, J., Book review, Review of Der Partnermarkt und die Gelegenheiten des Kennenlernens. Der Partnermarktsurvey (2014, Wiesbaden: Springer VS), by Häring, A., Klein, T., Staude, J., and Stoye, K. , Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 67, (3), 2015, p606-610 Review, 2015

Skopek, J. & Triventi, M. , Ability sorting or freedom of choice? Secondary school tracking and inequalities in educational achievement in Germany and Italy. , ECSR conference "Cumulative Inequalities in the Life Course", Tallinn University, Estonia, September 10-12, 2015 Oral Presentation, 2015

Skopek, J. & Triventi, M. , Educational Assortative Mating and Children's Academic Performance., "Social Inequality, Cohesion and Solidarity", Spring Meeting of the Research Committee on Social Stratification and Mobility (RC28) of the International Sociological Association (ISA), University of Tilburg, the Netherlands, May 28-30, 2015 Oral Presentation, 2015

Leopold T., Skopek J.,, The delay of grandparenthood: A Cohort comparison in East and West Germany, Journal of Marriage and Family, 77, (2), 2015, p441-460 Journal Article, 2015 DOI URL

Kosyakova Y., Skopek J., Eckman S., Do Interviewers Manipulate Responses to Filter Questions? Evidence from a Multilevel Approach, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 27, (3), 2015, p417-431 Journal Article, 2015 DOI URL

Young women outcompeting young men? A cohort comparison of gender differences at labor market entry in West Germany in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Buchholz, S. , Gender, Education, and Employment: An International Comparison of School-To-Work Transitions, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2015, pp246 - 266, [Buchholz, S., Skopek, J., Blossfeld, H.-P. ] Book Chapter, 2015 DOI URL

Leopold T., Skopek J., Gender and the division of labor in older couples: How European grandparents share market work and childcare, Social Forces, 93, (1), 2014, p63-91 Journal Article, 2014 URL DOI

Zillmann, D., Schmitz, A., Skopek, J, Blossfeld, H.-P. , Survey Topic and Unit Nonresponse - Evidence from an Online Survey on Mating, Quality & Quantity, 48, (4), 2014, p2069 - 2088 Journal Article, 2014 DOI URL

Thomas, L. & Skopek, J., Gender and the Division of Labor in Grandparent Couples, Spring 2013 Meeting of the ISA RC 28 "Economic Crises, Social Inequalities and Social Policies", University of Trento, Italy, May 16-18, 2013 Oral Presentation, 2013

Skopek J., Schmitz A., Blossfeld H., The gendered dynamics of age preferences - Empirical evidence from online dating, Zeitschrift fur Familienforschung, 23, (3), 2011, p267-290 Journal Article, 2011 URL

Skopek, J., Schulz, F., Blossfeld, H.-P. , Who Contacts Whom? Educational Homophily in Online Mate Selection, European Sociological Review, 27, (2), 2011, p180 - 195 Journal Article, 2011 URL DOI

Schulz, F., Skopek, J., Blossfeld, H.-P. , Partnerwahl als konsensuelle Entscheidung. Das Antwortverhalten bei Erstkontakten im Online-Dating [Mate selection as a mutual choice-How men and women reply to contact offers in online dating], Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 62, (3), 2010, p485 - 514 Journal Article, 2010 DOI URL

Bildungshomophilie im Onlinedating in, editor(s)Soeffner, H.-G. , Unsichere Zeiten. Herausforderungen gesellschaftlicher Transformationen. Verhandlungen des 34. Kongresses der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie in Jena 2008, Wiesbaden, Springer VS, 2010, [Schulz, F., Skopek, J., Blossfeld, H.-P.] Book Chapter, 2010

Skopek, J., Who contacts whom? Education-specific patterns of online mate selection., European Population Conference, University of Vienna, Austria, September 1-4, 2010 Oral Presentation, 2010

Schmitz, A., Klein, D., Skopek, J., Schulz, F., Blossfeld, H.-P. , Die Integration von Befragungs- und Prozessdaten einer Online-Kontaktbörse [Integration of survey and process data from an online dating site], soFid - Sozialwissenschaftlicher Fachinformationsdienst, "Methoden und Instrumente der Sozialwissenschaften", 2009, (1), 2009, p31 - 44 Journal Article, 2009 URL

Skopek, J., Schulz, F., Blossfeld, H.-P. , Partnersuche im Internet. Bildungsspezifische Mechanismen bei der Wahl von Kontaktpartnern [Online mate search - Education-specific mechanisms of choosing contact partners], Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 61, (2), 2009, p183 - 210 Journal Article, 2009 URL DOI

Schmitz, A., Skopek, J., Schulz, F., Klein, D., Blossfeld, H.-P. , Indicating Mate Preferences by Mixing Survey and Process-generated Data. The Case of Attitudes and Behaviour in Online Mate Search. , Historical Social Research, Special Issue - Linking Theory & Data, 34, (1), 2009, p77 - 93 Journal Article, 2009 URL DOI

Schulz, F., Skopek, J., Klein, D., and Schmitz, A., Wer nutzt Internetkontaktbörsen in Deutschland? , Zeitschrift für Familienforschung (Journal of Family Research), 20, (3), 2008, p271 - 292 Journal Article, 2008 URL

Klein, D. & Skopek, J., Processes of Mate Selection in Online Dating. Online Survey Design., 10th international General Online Research Conference, University of Hamburg, Germany, March 10-12, 2008 Oral Presentation, 2008

Schmitz, A. & Skopek, J., Social Web Data as Source for Social Science Research - Process generated data from a German Online-Dating Website, ISA RC33 7th International Conference on Social Science Methodology, Campus di Monte Sant' Angelo, Naples, Italy, September 1-5, 2008 Oral Presentation, 2008

Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications

Skopek, J.;Triventi, M.;Passaretta, G., Does Schooling Equalize Achievement Inequality in Italy? Evidence from an Adjacent-grade Discontinuity Design, 2024 Working Paper, 2024 DOI URL

Skopek, J.;Leopold, T.; Posegga, O., The historical demography of the multigenerational family: Evidence from crowdsourced genealogies, 2024 Working Paper, 2024 URL DOI

Skopek, Jan, Schooling and Inequality in Educational Achievement - Theory and Causal Evidence, DIPF Academy (PhD Summer school of the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, Frankfurt/Germany), Gersfeld/Rhön (Germany), June 24-26 2024, 2024 Invited Talk, 2024

Skopek, J., Engines of inequality? Analysing the role of schools for social inequality in learning, Lecture Series of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi), Germany, July 4, 2023 Invited Talk, 2023

Skopek, J., Event history analysis - Introduction and advanced applications (four-day methodology workshop), GESIS Knowledge Transfer, Training Courses, Mannheim, Germany, December 7-8, 14-15, 2023 Invited Talk, 2023

Skopek, J. and Leopold, T., Accounting for Right-Censoring when Estimating Impact Functions of Events., ECONtribute WORKSHOP "Methods for Studying the Consequences of Life Events: Interdisciplinary Perspectives", University of Cologne, May 11-12 2023, 2023 Oral Presentation, 2023

Skopek, Jan, Engines of (in-)equality? Analysing the role of schools for social inequality in learning, 4th conference of the Academy of Sociology, "Knowledge Societies", University of Bern, Switzerland, August 28-30 2023, 2023 Invited Talk, 2023

Zilincikova, Z.; Skopek, J.; Leopold, T., Children of Separation: An International Profile, 2023 Working Paper, 2023 DOI

Skopek, J., Event history analysis - Introduction and advanced applications (four-day methodology workshop), GESIS Knowledge Transfer, Training Courses, Mannheim, Germany, April 25-28, 2023 Invited Talk, 2023

G. Passaretta, & Skopek J., Learning in school or because of school? Migration gaps in achievement and the role of schools, 2022 Working Paper, 2022 URL DOI

Passaretta, G., Skopek, J., Does Schooling Decrease Socioeconomic Inequality in Early Achievement? A Differential Exposure Approach. , Meeting of EQOP (Socioeconomic gaps in language development and school achievement: Mechanisms of inequality and opportunity, PI: Henrik D. Zachrisson), Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, January 13, 2022, Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo Invited Talk, 2022

Passaretta, G and Skopek, J, Does Schooling Decrease Socioeconomic Inequality in Early Achievement? A Differential Exposure Approach, 7th International Conference of the National Educational Panel Study, Bamberg, Germany, December 5-6, 2022, Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (Bamberg, Germany) Invited Talk, 2022

Sprong, S., Skopek, J, ECEC as a Potential Equaliser for Achievement Gaps by Migration Background: Evidence from a Quasi-experimental Population-level Study in Ireland, 2022 Working Paper, 2022 URL DOI

Sprong, S. L.; Skopek, J., Childcare Utilisation by Migration Background: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Irish Cohort Study, 2022 Working Paper, 2022 DOI

Skopek, J., Event history analysis - Introduction and advanced applications (three-day methodology workshop), GESIS Knowledge Transfer, Training Courses, Mannheim, Germany, May 4-6, 2022 Invited Talk, 2022

Leesch, J.; Skopek, J, Decomposing Trends in Educational Homogamy and Heterogamy - The Case of Ireland., 2022 Working Paper, 2022 DOI

Sprong, S., Skopek, J., Do migration-related gaps find their roots in the period before formal schooling? A path-model of educational achievement in primary school., 2021 Working Paper, 2021 DOI URL

Skopek, J., Event history analysis - Introduction and advanced applications (two-day methodology workshop) , Mannheim, Germany, May 3-4, 2021, GESIS Knowledge Transfer, Training Courses Invited Talk, 2021

Skopek, J., Introduction to panel data analysis (two-day online methodology workshop), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona/Spain, May 20/27, 2021, BACES - Barcelona Center for European Studies Invited Talk, 2021

Sprong, S., Skopek, J., Examining the "migrant gap" at school starting age: the case of Ireland., 2021 Working Paper, 2021 DOI URL

De Vries, J., Smith, R., Skopek, J., Coughlan, P., Arikan, G. & Byrne, M., WE VALUE YOUR OPINION OF QUALITY IN TRINITY, Appendix to ISER, Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Sept, 2021, p1 - 49 Report, 2021 URL

Passaretta, G., Skopek, J. , Does schooling decrease social inequality in early achievement?, 2020 Working Paper, 2020 DOI

Skopek, J., (keynote speaker) Education systems, schooling and achievement inequality in cross-national perspective., Conference "Heterogeneity and Inequality: Differentiation in Education and Consequences for Educational Inequalities", University of Bern, November 5-6, 2020, Sociology of Education Research Network of the Swiss Sociological Association Invited Talk, 2020

Passaretta, G., Skopek, J., Van Huizen, T., To what extent is social inequality in school-age achievement determined before and during schooling? A longitudinal analysis in three European countries, 2020 Working Paper, 2020 DOI

Skopek, J., (keynote speaker) How to study individual changes over time using fixed-effects panel regression models, Household Dynamics, Family Events, and Inequalities in the Life-Course, University of Trento, October 9-11, 2019, Trento School of Applied Quantitative Research, University of Trento Invited Talk, 2019

Skopek, J., (keynote) Bypassing system barriers in education systems (Symposium presentation), Equality & Inclusion - International ISOTIS conference, Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht, the Netherladns, November 28-29, 2019 Oral Presentation, 2019 URL

van Huizen, T. & Skopek, J., Educational inequality and early interventions (Symposium presentation), Equality & Inclusion - International ISOTIS conference, Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht, the Netherladns, November 28-29, 2019 Oral Presentation, 2019

Skopek, J. , Event History Analysis: Introduction and Advanced Topics (three-day training course), GESIS Workshops, Mannheim, Germany, October 16-18, 2019, GESIS Knowledge Transfer, Training Courses Invited Talk, 2019

Skopek, J. , Introduction to Event History Analysis (One-day workshop delivered to PhD students, post-docs, senior academics of the DFG SPP Programme), DFG SPP Programme, German National Educational Panel Study, LIfBi, October 11, 2018, DFG SPP Programme Invited Talk, 2018

Passaretta, G., Skopek, J. & van Huizen, T. , To what extent are social inequalities in educational achievement explained by preschool inequalities? A comparative analysis of UK, Germany and the Netherlands., Educational Inequality Conference, Amsterdam Centre for Inequality Studies (AMCIS), University of Amsterdam, July 5-6, 2018 Oral Presentation, 2018

Skopek, J., Measuring dynamics of inequality in the life-course, CRITEVENTS workshop (NORFACE), European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy, June 18-19, 2018, CRITEVENTS project Invited Talk, 2018

Skopek, J., Leopold, T., Fertility, Mobility, and Educational Reproduction: A New Method to Estimate Prospective Models Using Retrospective Data, 2018 Working Paper, 2018 DOI URL

Skopek, J., Passaretta, G., The Social Stratification of Skills from Infancy to Adolescence - Evidence from an Accelerated Longitudinal Design, 2018 Working Paper, 2018 URL DOI

Skopek, J. & Leopold, T., Who becomes a Grandparent - And When? Education and Fertility in Multigenerational Perspective, 2017 Working Paper, 2017 URL DOI

Triventi, M., Skopek, J., Kulic, N., McMullin, P., Buchholz, S., Blossfeld, H.-P., Differentiation in secondary education and social inequality in educational opportunities. Results from a large-scale international comparison, Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology , XiIX, (5 (88)), 2017, p54 - 75 Journal Article, 2017 URL

Skopek, J. , Event History Analysis: Introduction and Advanced Topics (three-day training course), GESIS Workshops, Mannheim, Germany, May 17-19, 2017, GESIS Knowledge Transfer, Training Courses Invited Talk, 2017

Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Dämmrich, J., Blossfeld, H.-P., High Expectations? Lessons Learned from a Cross-National and Multidisciplinary Study on the Role of Childcare and Early Education in Social Inequality , Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology , XIX, (5 (88)), 2017, p15 - 38 Journal Article, 2017 URL

Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Kosyakova, Y., Buchholz, S., Blossfeld, H.-P., Gender and the Transition from School to Work: Results from an International Comparative Study, Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology , XIX, (5 (88)), 2017, p98 - 126 Journal Article, 2017 URL

Kröger, H., Skopek, J., Logistic Confusion - An extended treatment on cross-group comparability of findings obtained from logistic regression, 2017 Working Paper, 2017 URL DOI

Skopek, J., Childcare, Early Education and Compensation of Educational Disadvantage - Evidence from a Multidisciplinary and International Project, ECEC QUALITY - new interdisciplinary perspectives on an old issue, German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, March 23/34, 2017, German Institute for Economic Research Invited Talk, 2017

Childcare, early education, and social inequality: Perspectives for a cross-national and multidisciplinary study in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , Childcare, Early Education and Social Inequality: An International Perspective, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2017, pp3 - 28, [Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Blossfeld, H.-P. ] Book Chapter, 2017 URL DOI

Childcare, early education and compensation of educational disadvantage - Evidence from a multidisciplinary and international project in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , Childcare, Early Education and Social Inequality: An International Perspective, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2017, pp287 - 314, [Skopek, J., Kulic, N., Triventi, M., Blossfeld, H.-P. ] Book Chapter, 2017 URL DOI

Skopek, J., Fertility, Mobility, and Educational Reproduction: A New Method to Estimate Prospective Models Using Retrospective Data, Research Seminar, Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES), Mannheim, 28/11, 2017, University of Mannheim Invited Talk, 2017

Varieties of secondary education models and social inequality - Conclusions from a large-scale international comparison in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Buchholz, S., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , Models of Secondary Education and Social Inequalities: An International Comparison, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2016, [Blossfeld, H.-P., Triventi, M., Skopek, J., Kulic, N., Buchholz, S. ] Book Chapter, 2016 URL DOI

Skopek, J., Childcare as an 'equalizer'? Early institutional care and educational outcomes of children - New evidence from the NEPS, Invited talk at Institute for educational research [Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften], University of Bern, April 28, 2016, Prof. Dr. Rolf Becker [Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften] Invited Talk, 2016

Secondary school systems and inequality of educational opportunity in contemporary societies in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Buchholz, S., Skopek, J., Triventi, M. , Models of Secondary Education and Social Inequalities: An International Comparison, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2016, pp3 - 24, [Triventi, M., Kulic, N., Skopek, J., Blossfeld, H-P.] Book Chapter, 2016 URL DOI

Skopek, J., Childcare, Early Education and Compensation of Educational Disadvantage - Evidence from a Multidisciplinary and International Project, Lunchtime seminar, Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, November 30, 2016, ESRI Invited Talk, 2016

Skopek, J. , Event History Analysis: Introduction and Advanced Topics (three-day training course), GESIS Workshops, Mannheim, Germany, December 16-18, 2015, GESIS Knowledge Transfer, Training Courses Invited Talk, 2015

Skopek, J. & Dronkers, J. , Performance during Secondary Education in German States: A Longitudinal Three-Level Approach, (Persistent) Inequalities Revisited, hosted by the Department of Sociology of Education at the University of Bern (CH) in collaboration with the Institute of Education and Society, University of Luxembourg (LU), Monte Verità, Switzerland, July 5-6, 2015 Oral Presentation, 2015

Skopek, J., One Hammer, Different Nails - A Note on the Confusing Sociologists' Debate on Comparing Coefficients in Logistic Regression, 2015 Working Paper, 2015 URL DOI

Gender, Education, and Employment: Lessons Learned from the Comparative Perspective in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Buchholz, S. , Gender, Education, and Employment: An International Comparison of School-To-Work Transitions, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2015, pp347 - 382, [Blossfeld, H.-P., Skopek, J., Kosyakova, Y., Triventi, M., Buchholz, S. ] Book Chapter, 2015 DOI URL

Gender Differences at Labor Market Entry: The Effect of Changing Educational Pathways and Institutional Structures in, editor(s)Blossfeld, H.-P., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Buchholz, S. , Gender, Education, and Employment: An International Comparison of School-To-Work Transitions, Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar, 2015, pp3 - 38, [Blossfeld, H.-P., Buchholz, S., Dämmrich, J., Kilpi-Jakonen, E., Kosyakova, Y., Skopek, J., Triventi, M., Vono de Vilhena, D. ] Book Chapter, 2015 DOI URL

Skopek, J & Dronkers, J., Performance in Secondary School in German States - A Longitudinal Three-Level Approach, 2015 Working Paper, 2015 DOI URL

Leopold, T. & Skopek, J. , Convergence or Continuity? The Gender Gap in Household Labor After Retirement, conference "Aktuelle Entwicklungen in der Familiensoziologie: Theorien, Methoden, Befunde", Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB), Berlin, Germany, April 24-25, 2014 Oral Presentation, 2014

Skopek, J. , Gender and the Division of Labor in Older Couples: How European Grandparents Share Market Work and Childcare., Invited talk at the Inequality Working Group (CLIC), European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy, February 3, 2014, SPS Department / CLIC Invited Talk, 2014

Kosyakova, Y., Saar, E., & Skopek, J. , Gender differences at labor market entry in Estonia, Russia and East and West Germany - the effect of educational pathways and institutional structures, "How do educational systems shape educational inequalities?", University of Luxembourg, July 2- 4, 2014 Oral Presentation, 2014

Skopek, J. & Triventi, M. , Educational Assortative Mating and Children's Early Schooling Performance, ECSR-Equalsoc Workshop 'Family Conditions and Child Outcomes', University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, June 10-11, 2014 Oral Presentation, 2014

Leopold, T. & Skopek, J. , Convergence or Continuity? The Gender Gap in Household Labor After Retirement, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, Berlin, Germany , September 23-25, 2014 Oral Presentation, 2014

Skopek, J. & Triventi, M. , Gender, social class of origin, and track allocation in upper secondary education. Longterm trends in Germany and Italy, onference "Educational systems: Inequalities, Labour Markets and Civic Engagement", AMCIS (Amsterdam Center of Inequality Studies), University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, February 13-14, 2014 Oral Presentation, 2014

Skopek, J., The gendered dynamics of age preferences. Empirical evidence from online dating, fourth European conference of family research (Europäischer Fachkongress für Familienforschung),, Bamberg, Germany, June 6-8, 2013 Oral Presentation, 2013

Skopek, J. , Longitudinal Data of the National Educational Panel Study in Germany - Introduction and Applications using Stata, Two-day workshop delivered to PhD students and post-docs, European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy, May 23-24, 2013, SPS Department EUI Invited Talk, 2013

Skopek, J. , Starting Cohort 6 of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS): Adult Education and Lifelong Learning, One-day workshop delivered to researchers, Educational Research Institute (IBE), Warsaw, Poland, April 4, 2013, Educational Research Institute (IBE) Invited Talk, 2013

Skopek, J., Pink, S., Bela, D. , Data Manual. Starting Cohort 4 - School and Vocational Training. NEPS SC4 1.1.0. , Bamberg, National Educational Panel Study, University of Bamberg, 2013 Report, 2013

Skopek, J., Leopold, T., The Late Divide: Gender and the Division of Labor in Older Couples., Invited talk at family research colloquium, State Institute for Family Research at the University of Bamberg (ifb), Bamberg, Germany, 2013, IFB Invited Talk, 2013

Zielonka, M. & Skopek, J., Raab, M. , Data Manual. NEPS - Additional Study. Organizational Reform Study in Thuringia. NEPS TH 1.0.0. , Bamberg, National Educational Panel Study, University of Bamberg, 2012 Report, 2012

Skopek, J., Pink, S., Bela, D. , Data Manual. Starting Cohort 2 - From Kindergarten to Elementary School. NEPS SC2 1.0.0. , Bamberg, National Educational Panel Study, University of Bamberg, 2012 Report, 2012

Skopek, J. , Data management and documentation in the National Educational Panel Study - the Data Center of the NEPS, Invited talk at the Leibniz Workshop "Bildungsmonitoring & - dokumentation" as a part of the Leibniz workshop series "Standortbestim- mung und Schwerpunktsetzung auf dem Gebiet der Empirischen Bildungsforschung", Leibniz Society, Berlin, February 2-3, 2012, Leibniz Society Invited Talk, 2012

Skopek, J., Pink, S., Bela, D. , Data Manual. Starting Cohort 3 - From Lower to Upper Secondary School. NEPS SC3 1.0.0. , Bamberg, National Educational Panel Study, University of Bamberg, 2012 Report, 2012

Skopek, J., Partnerwahl im Internet. Eine quantitative Analyse von Strukturen und Prozessen der Online-Partnersuche, Wiesbaden, Springer VS, 2011 Book, 2011 URL DOI

Leopold, T., Raab, M., Skopek, J. , Data Manual. Starting Cohort 6: Adult Education and Lifelong Learning. , NEPS Research Data Paper., Bamberg, National Educational Panel Study, University of Bamberg, 2011 Report, 2011

Skopek, J. & Schulz, F., Who contacts whom? Educational homophily in online dating., ESF TransEurope workshop , University of Groningen, the Netherlands, October 17, 2009 Oral Presentation, 2009

Rationale Wahl und Emotionen am Beispiel der menschlichen Partnerwahl. in, editor(s)Seewald, C., Seirafi, K., Vötsch, M. , Rationalität - Placebo der Wahrheit, Frankfurt am Main, Peter Lang, 2006, pp127 - 148, [Skopek, J., Hofäcker, D. ] Book Chapter, 2006

Research Expertise

Description

I am a sociologist with core interests in the study of social stratification, social inequality, and social demography. Understanding social inequality in modern society by means of rigorous empirical determination and testing is a central concern of my research. My work bears significant contributions to research on a) educational inequality, especially concerning the evolution of inequality in educational outcomes from early childhood to adolescence as well as the role schooling and school systems (the social organisation of schooling) play in shaping educational inequality, b) intergenerational social mobility, especially concerning the question of how changing demographic processes (such as fertility or marriage) shape educational mobility from one generation to the next, c) gender inequality, especially concerning the question of how and why the gendered division of labour in paid and unpaid work has changed at different stages of people"s lives, d) intergenerational relations and the multigenerational family, especially concerning the changing demographic makeup of the grandparent-grandchild relation and its variation across modern societies. My research employs cutting-edge quantitative-statistical methodology, causal analysis, longitudinal designs, and cross-national comparisons, the latter frequently facilitated by international collaborations. Apart from substantive contributions, my work features methodological innovations. For example, my recent research (published in American Sociological Review) developed a new causal identification strategy to measure the impact schools have on the cognitive development of children, and the potential `equalising" effects schools may have on social inequality in children"s learning. Causal designs are crucial to understand better the contentious role schools play in the process of social inequality and mobility. I have achieved publications in top-tier academic journals in sociology but also neighbouring disciplines like demography, educational research, or gerontology. I have a track record in successful grant applications, take academic leadership in funded projects and international research networks (including a H2020 project funded by the European Commission), hire funded post-doctoral staff, and supervise PhDs. I participate at international conferences in my field. My work receives international recognition as evidenced by high-impact journal publications, rising citation, invited talks/keynotes/workshops, invitations for expert reviewing, and media attention. To date, I have 74 publications in total including 27 articles in peer-review journals, 4 edited volumes, 1 special issue, 1 monograph, and 22 chapters in books, special issues, and edited research reports. In addition, I have published several working papers as well as research and data reports. I have secured €293,800 funding at Trinity. Outside Trinity/Ireland I have been involved in successful grant proposals in excess of €1.4 million.

Projects

  • Title
    • Demographic and social pathways of educational reproduction: A cross-national study
  • Summary
    • This project combines traditional retrospective models with more recent prospective models into an integrative model of educational reproduction. Our model considers the social reproduction of education as a social attribute and the demographic reproduction of populations carrying this attribute. We examine the role of various demographic pathways: union formation and homogamy, union (in)stability and repartering, fertility timing and quantum. To combine retrospective and prospective approaches, we introduce a method that substantially reduces the data requirements of prospective models. The method allows estimating prospective models based on retrospective data commonly available in surveys. It addresses two key issues - retrospective sampling bias and the problem of identifying representative cohorts. The method also allows disentangling social and demographic pathways of reproduction. The proposed research will leverage this method to examine educational reproduction prospectively using national and cross-nationally comparative data (GGS, SHARE, ISSP, ESS, SOEP, FFS). Our research - organized in two work packages - will enrich theoretical, methodological and empirical knowledge of educational reproduction and provide novel insight into the renewal of populations and their inequality structures. In doing so, the project will advance our understanding of social inequality and its reproduction in families. Moreover, the method that we introduce and further develop in this project will facilitate future prospective research on social stratification. The project is funded by the German Research Foundation and is collaboratively lead by Thomas Leopold, Gordey Yastrebov (both University of Cologne, Germany) and Jan Skopek (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland).
  • Funding Agency
    • German Research Foundation
  • Date From
    • 2022
  • Date To
    • 2024
  • Title
    • ISOTIS - Inclusive Education and Social Support to Tackle Inequalities in Society
  • Summary
    • The project ISOTIS - Inclusive Education and Social Support to Tackle Inequalities in Society - funded by the European Commission (H2020) is a research consortium of 17 partner institutions across Europe collaboratively studying educational inequality between social and ethnic groups within European countries. ISOTIS will inform best practice in strategies for inclusive education. Jan Skopek is leading Working Package 1 "Inequality in various stages of the educational career: patterns and mechanisms". Major research activities involve (1) a comparative assessment of social and ethnic inequality in educational opportunity across European countries, (2) a longitudinal assessment of the roots and development of skill gaps among children in selected European countries, and (3) the effectiveness of institutional reforms aiming to reduce achievement gaps among children.
  • Funding Agency
    • Europan Commission
  • Date From
    • January 2017
  • Date To
    • December 2019
  • Title
    • Can preschool reduce migrant gaps? A longitudinal study of migration-related disparities in educational opportunities and the role of early childhood education.
  • Summary
    • In today's increasingly diverse societies one of the key questions is how to foster the structural integration of immigrants. Education is one of the main prerequisites for social and economic integration. It is a critical resource for economic and societal progress and a crucial factor structuring socio-economic outcomes and life chances of individuals. Thus, endowing children with a migration background with equal chances to succeed in school will facilitate their integration into broader society. Research shows that migrant educational underachievement is a serious issue. Yet, relatively little is known about when, how and why migrant gaps develop in children's educational careers. Studies that investigate these questions using longitudinal data are scarce, particularly in the European context. Moreover, while some studies have tentatively suggested that early inclusion in the educational system might be beneficial for children with a migrant background, there are no studies systematically examining the effects of preschool attendance on the performance of immigrant children over time. The current research sets out to answer these questions. More specifically, the central goal of the project is to better understand, from a longitudinal perspective, when and how migrant gaps in educational outcomes arise during the early life course and what role preschool education plays in this. In particular, the projects sets out to establish whether preschool attendance can work as an equalizer for children with a migration background. To this end, longitudinal data on child development from the Republic of Ireland will be exploited. PhD: Stefanie Sprong.
  • Funding Agency
    • Irish Research Council
  • Date From
    • 2019
  • Date To
    • 2022
  • Title
    • The Late Divide: Gender and the Division of Labor in Older Couples
  • Summary
    • This project proposes a comprehensive longitudinal investigation of the division of labor in older couples. It addresses a major gap of knowledge, as previous research has focused almost exclusively on how younger couples negotiate their division of market and domestic work throughout earlier periods of married life. Extending the analytical scope to older couples is particularly worthwhile, as both theory and empirical evidence suggest that the division of labor - and the associated gender inequalities - might shift substantially in later life. Most importantly, two critical life transitions of this period - grandparenthood and retirement - represent turning points that may instigate processes of adaptation and renegotiation of the previous division of labor in older couples. Consequently, the proposed research will trace older couples over extended periods of time to explore how, why, and under which conditions grandparenthood and retirement affect their arrangements of market and domestic work. The analyses will draw on comprehensive longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), the German Aging Survey (DEAS), the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), and the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam). The investigation will be informed by life course, solidarity, and social network perspectives as well as established theories of the division of labor. In tying these frameworks together and extending them to the study of later life and older couples, the project will yield important contributions both at the theoretical and at the empirical level. The project is hosted at the Institute of Family Research at the University of Bamberg (Germany). Funding generously granted by the German Research Foundation amounts to 178,300 Euro.
  • Funding Agency
    • German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  • Date From
    • September, 2015
  • Date To
    • August, 2017
  • Title
    • eduLIFE: Education as a Lifelong Process. Comparing Educational Trajectories in Modern Societies.
  • Summary
    • Studying inequality in educational opportunities has a long tradition in sociology, and many social researchers have argued that education has become the key variable in social stratification. Over the last decades, modern societies have become characterized as knowledge-based economies in which the role of education and its organization in institutions have important consequences for educational participation in all phases of the life course. Nowadays, education may be seen as a lifelong process in which individuals acquire skills and competencies in formal and non-formal learning settings not only in school but also before school and afterwards throughout the entire life-span. The objective of the eduLIFE project was to study how the educational careers of individuals unfold over the entire life course in different societies and to relate this to family background, educational institutions, job careers, workplaces, and private life events. The project adopted an explicit life-course perspective, utilized comparative research designs, and exploited most suitable cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets for studying educational processes in modern societies. To analyse education as a lifelong process, the project was structured into four phases, each focusing on a specific, very sensitive stage of the educational career: (1) Childcare, Early Education and Social Inequality, (2) Models of Secondary Education and Social Inequality, (3) Gender, Education and the School-to-work Transition, (4) Adult Learning. Reputed scholars from a large cross-national network have contributed comparable country-specific analyses to the eduLIFE project. Findings of the project are published in four volumes. The project (P.I. Hans-Peter Blossfeld) was hosted at the University of Bamberg (Germany) and the European University Institute (Florence, Italy). Funding was generously granted by the ERC.
  • Funding Agency
    • European Research Council
  • Date From
    • 2011
  • Date To
    • 2016
  • Title
    • The Internet as a Partner Market: Analyzing the Early Phase of Meeting and Mating using Data from Online Dating
  • Summary
    • The project "The internet as a partner market: Analyzing the early phase of meeting and mating using data from online dating" (German: Das Internet als Partnermarkt: Analysen der frühen Phasen des Kennenlernens auf Basis von Daten aus dem Online-Dating) was hosted at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics of the University at Bamberg. The projects' objective was a study of the early phases of assortative mating based on data collected in the social context of online dating. Contrasting most previous sociological studies on assortative mating have been investigating search outcomes like consensual unions or married couples, the project conceptualized and studied mate choice as a process involving initial conditions and evolution of romantic interaction among men and women. In theoretical terms, the research was informed by social exchange theory, search theory and family economics, symbolic interactionists approaches, and relational sociology. Empirically the project drew upon big data collected unobtrusively collected from online user trans- and interactions as well as an additional survey data which has been collected via an online panel. The research strategy adopted mixed-method methodology including quantitative but also qualitative research designs. Funding generously granted by the German Research Foundation amounted to 225,810 Euro.
  • Funding Agency
    • German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  • Title
    • Processes of mate choice in online dating
  • Summary
    • The utilization of internet-based dating technologies is a social revolution which has been gaining increasing popularity in modern societies in the last one and a half decades. Dating sites represent a digital partner market promising unprecedented opportunity structures for searching and selecting potential partners in an efficient way but also a way that is quite distinct from rather traditional settings and modes of partner search. For sociological research, data being generated on online dating sites is of high value as it provides an innovative access to details of the encountering process between men and women that is highly interactional and dynamic in nature and hard to reach by rather traditional research designs. The project aims were three-fold. First, the project involved theorizing mate search in those new digital mate markets. Second, the project served to establish a unique data set comprising big data unobtrusively collected based on user interactions in online dating combined with an innovate online panel-survey design following up users and dating outcomes. Within the project an online survey tool was developed in collaboration with a major German provider of online dating services. Third, the project carried out inductive as well as deductive research designs in studying mate search from a new perspective. Based on the example of mate search, the project advanced methodologies employing big data for studying social action. The project was hosted at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics of the University at Bamberg (Germany). Funding generously granted by the German Research Foundation amounted to 432,000 Euro.
  • Funding Agency
    • German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  • Date From
    • 2007
  • Date To
    • 2010

Recognition

Representations

Referee for applicants to IRC post-graduate scholarship programme

Awards and Honours

Elected Fellow of Trinity College Dublin (FTCD) April 2022

Winner of the best paper prize and invited honorary talk, awarded by National Educational Panel Study, Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories, Bamberg/Germany December 2022

Award for exceptional study performance (Diplom-Kaufmann Hermann-Weiler Foundation) December 2004

Memberships

Comparative Life Course and Inequality Research Centre (CLIC), European University Institute, Florence/Italy 2013 – 2016

Institute for Longitudinal Educational Research (INBIL), Bamberg, Germany 2011 – 2013

European Consortium for Sociological Research (ECSR) 2016 – today

International Sociological Association (ISA), Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility 2013 – today

Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC), Trinity College Dublin, Ireland 2018 – today