Pathways into adulthood. A comparative study on family life transitions among migrant and Dutch youth

Abstract

The ethnic composition of the Dutch population has changed considerably in the past decades. Nowadays a substantial proportion of youth in the Netherlands has a migrant background. This study focuses on how these young adults make the transition to adulthood in the family domain. What preferences and behavior regarding family life transitions are predominant among migrant and Dutch youth? How and to what extent are these preferences and behavior among migrant and Dutch youth influenced by their parents? This study surveys different aspects of family life transitions: adolescent's preferred type of union, their gender roles preferences, the preferred timing of family life transitions, and patterns of co-residence in the parental home. In order to compare distinct mechanisms of intergenerational transmission among different migrant groups, this study includes the four largest migrant groups in the Netherlands: Surinamese, Antilleans, Moroccans, and Turks, as well as native Dutch. Different sets of new data that include substantial numbers of youth from these four migrant groups and Dutch are used. As a result this study provides new empirical information and insights into family life transitions among migrant and Dutch youth.