Socioeconomic Inequalities among Girls and Boys of the Second Generation: Longitudinal and Intergenerational Effects of Gendered Segregation

What is the project about?

The project will examine the persistent socioeconomic inequalities among young men and women with a migrant background in gendered residential contexts. Employing a longitudinal and intergenerational approach alongside mixed methods, we will track young people over time to investigate their aspirations, attitudes and outcomes in school and the labour market, contrasting them with their peers and parents. Of particular interest are the gendered effects of segregation, such as how neighbours can function as female or male role models, thereby shaping young people’s perspectives on their future lives.

The project will delineate patterns and examine both individual and structural factors influencing socioeconomic inequalities, as well as the views and challenges faced by young individuals in relation to these inequalities. Ultimately, the project seeks to contribute valuable insights that can inform targeted interventions aimed at mitigating inequality, particularly for vulnerable groups in society.

Research questions:

• How do gender and segregation shape neighbourhood effects on the socioeconomic outcomes of the male and female descendants of immigrants?
• How can the gendered attitudes and obstacles to socioeconomic integration among the descendants of immigrants be uncovered, in relation to gendered and residential contexts?
• How do young male and female immigrant descendants negotiate their educational and labour market aspirations in relation to their family, peers and their residential context?

We will use a mixed-methods design, utilizing various data sources and methods to complement and enrich one another. Register data will be used to examine how gender and segregation shape neighbourhood effects on educational and labour market outcomes. This will involve analysing individualized neighbourhoods and advanced multivariate methods. Additionally, a survey will be held to gather information on gendered and contextual attitudes and barriers to socioeconomic integration. Furthermore, interviews will be carried out to explore how young descendants of immigrants navigate their educational and labour market aspirations.

Project participants

• Karen Haandrikman, Department of Human Geography, Stockholm University.
• Siddartha Aradhya, Stockholm University Demography Unit, Stockholm University.
• Sara Forsberg, Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University.

The project team consists of two geographers and one demographer. The strength of the team is the strong experience and skills these researchers have in research on integration, segregation, neighbourhood effects, and educational aspirations, from human geographic and demographic perspectives.

Links to homepages of project participants:

• Karen Haandrikman: https://www.su.se/english/profiles/khaan-1.187846 External link.
• Siddartha Aradhya: https://www.su.se/english/profiles/siar4055-1.356690 External link.
• Sara Forsberg: https://www.katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N11-1680 External link.