Boomerang Generation” in Italy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Università degli studi di Torino Università degli studi di Milano Dip. di Culture, politica e società Dip. di Scienze sociali e politiche Ph.D. PROGRAM SOCIOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL RESEARCH– 31st cohort The “Boomerang generation” in Italy. Trend and determinants of young people returning to the parental home in a context of economic crisis and uncertainty Doctoral dissertation by Patrizio Lodetti Supervisors: Prof. Manuela Naldini Prof. Dario Tuorto Director of Doctoral Program: Prof. Mauro Barisione 1 2 Index Abstract ...................................................................................... 10 Introduction ................................................................................ 12 Chapter 1 Main analytical Frameworks in Youth Studies and the Life Course Perspective .................................................................................. 15 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 15 1.2 Youth, a problematic conceptual construct ........................................... 17 1.2.1 Autonomy, three relevant analytical dimensions .............................18 1.3 The “twin tracks” of transitions and cultural perspectives ........................ 21 1.3.1 Recent transformations, social change and the current debate .........24 1.3.2 Transitions approach .....................................................................26 1.3.3 Generational approach...................................................................28 1.3.3.1 Criticisms of the generational approach .................................. 30 1.3.3.2 Potentialities of the generational approaches .......................... 31 1.3.4 Perspectives of theoretical integration .............................................33 1.4 The concept of boomerang generation ...................................................... 37 1.5 Life course theoretical framework ........................................................ 40 1.5.1 Applying life course perspective to my research design ....................42 Chapter 2 Theoretical perspectives on intergenerational relations. Parent-child support, between solidarity and ambivalence ....................................... 44 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 44 2.2 Intergenerational Solidarity Model ....................................................... 46 2.2.1 Type of intergenerational support ...................................................48 3 2.3 Theories of intergenerational support ................................................... 50 2.3.1 Rational choice exchange ...............................................................50 2.3.2 Altruism ........................................................................................51 2.3.3 Social norms. Kinship obligations and reciprocity ...........................52 2.4 Intergenerational ambivalence .............................................................. 55 2.4.1 The ambivalences of returning into parental home ..........................57 Chapter 3 Returning to parental home in a context of uncertainty. Which determinants in Italy? ..................................................................... 60 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 60 3.2 Theoretical background and Hypotheses .............................................. 61 3.2.1 Economic crisis, employment uncertainty and home returning ........61 3.2.2 Life course transitions and home returning .....................................63 3.2.2.1 Partnership dissolution: data constraints and strategy of operationalization ............................................................... 64 3.2.3 The impact of individual characteristic on home returning ..............66 3.2.4 The role of social class and familiar resources on home returning ....67 3.3 Empirical strategy ................................................................................ 70 3.3.1 EU-SILC longitudinal survey .........................................................70 3.3.1.1 The rotational design ............................................................. 72 3.3.2 Sample ..........................................................................................74 3.3.3 Dependent variable ........................................................................78 3.3.4 Independent variables ....................................................................79 3.3.4.1 Economic status .................................................................... 80 3.3.4.2 Change of economic status ..................................................... 81 3.3.4.3 Marital status......................................................................... 82 4 3.3.4.4 Educational level ................................................................... 83 3.3.4.5 Social class ............................................................................ 85 3.3.4.5.1 Social class definition, the main empirical approaches in the literature of social stratification ............................... 85 3.3.4.5.2 Operationalization of social class .................................... 88 3.3.4.5.3 The choice of parents’ education, a robustness validation ................................................................................... 89 3.3.4.6 Risk of poverty ...................................................................... 90 3.3.4.7 Geographical Area ................................................................. 92 3.3.4.8 Degree of urbanization .......................................................... 93 3.3.4.9 Tenure status ......................................................................... 93 3.3.4.10 Year ranges.......................................................................... 95 3.3.5 Method .........................................................................................96 3.3.5.1 Nonlinear panel models ......................................................... 98 3.3.4.10 Age and age squared ........................................................... 100 3.3.5.2 The choice of random effects models ..................................... 100 Chapter 4 Empirical results and discussion ...................................................... 104 4.1 Trend of young people aged 18-34 returning home in Italy ................... 106 4.2 Economic crises, between economic hardships, and employment uncertainty ....................................................................................... 112 4.2.1 Economic status, unemployment and Inactivity ............................ 115 4.2.2 Turning points, economic transitional markers ............................. 116 4.3 Marital status and relational instability ................................................ 119 4.3.1 Married young people returning home .......................................... 120 4.3.2 Separated/divorced young people returning home ........................ 123 5 4.4 The role of individual characteristics: gender, educational level and age .......................................................................................................... 125 4.5 The role of social class and family resources ........................................ 128 4.5.1 Tenure status ............................................................................... 128 4.5.2 Disposable income and risk of poverty ......................................... 130 4.5.3 Social class .................................................................................. 132 4.5.3.1 Interaction between social class and economic status ............. 134 Conclusions ................................................................................ 141 Appendix ................................................................................... 145 Appendix I: A focus on young people aged 18 to 34 not in co-residence (excluded from the sample selection) .................................................. 145 Appendix II: Panel-data description .......................................................... 147 Appendix III: Conditional effects plots of longitudinal logit models ........... 149 Appendix IV: Postestimation tests ............................................................. 152 Appendix V: Pooled cross-section models ................................................. 156 References .................................................................................. 157 6 List of Figures Figure 1 Rotational design structure. A representation from the first wave (2004) onwards ................................................................................................ 73 List of Graphs Graph 1 Young people 18-34 in co-residence and not in co-residence over waves ............................................................................................................. 76 Graph 2 Share of young people returned to parental home over year (frequency on top of bars) ..................................................................................... 106 Graph 3 Share of young people returned to parental home over year ranges (frequency on top of bars) .................................................................... 107 Graph 4 Share of young people returned to parental home over year range, by gender................................................................................................. 108 Graph 5 Share of young people returned to parental home