Inequalities in early childhood and families
The early childhood family contexts are considered formative for adult educational and socioeconomic outcomes. We study the intergenerational impacts of parental education and economic resources, as well as family structure, and consider the modifying effects of local educational opportunity structures on social and genetic influences on educational and socioeconomic attainment.
By Jani Erola, Laura Heiskala, Esa Karonen, and Elina Kilpi-Jakonen
Childhood family structure has a modest impact on adult attainment compared to parents’ educational and socioeconomic resources, independently of the country context.
While parental education remains the most consequential factor for children’s attainment, parental economic resources remain crucial and are often empirically underestimated.
Universally available local educational opportunity structures increase educational attainment and can even boost the chances of meeting genetic potential for everyone.