prof. dr. heather hofmeister, rwth aachen university

Are women in Eastern Europe and Western Europe experiencing dramatically different effects of globalization? Evidence from a 13-country comparison

Prof. Dr. Heather Hofmeister, RWTH Aachen University

Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Blossfeld, University of Bamberg2007 Spring Meeting of RC28:24-27 May 2007, Brno, CZ

Social Inequality and Mobility in the Process of Social Transformation

04/20/23 Heather Hofmeister2

Presentation Format

What do we mean by globalization? How is globalization affecting individuals across the

life course in Europe? Youth, women, men, and older workers How do nation-specific contexts influence the

effects? In particular, patterns in Eastern versus Western Europe

How does globalization influence social inequalities for each group?

1999-2005

Leader: Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Blossfeld Deputy Director, 2003-‘05: Heather Hofmeister Scientists: 64, from 16 OECD countries plus Estonia Funding: Volkswagen Stiftung, €1,4 Million Data: collected from individuals over time Methods: longitudinal event history Foci:

Life course transitions within employment (and family) for youth, women, men, and older workers

The effects of recent globalization on individuals


What do we mean by globalization?


One recent measure of globalization

KOF Index of globalization (ETH Zurich, Dreher), measuring the degree of globalization in 123 countries

Measures: 34% is economic: flows and restrictions of goods,

capital, foreign investment 37% is social: personal contact (phone, travel),

information flows (radio, TV, internet), cultural mainstreaming (McDonalds)

28% is political: embassies, U.N. involvement, international memberships


Graph of individual countries

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

Cou

ntry

-Spe

cific

KO

F G

loba

lizat

ion

Ind

US

UK

Sweden

Denmark

Germany

France

Netherlands

Italy

Spain

Ireland

Hungary

Czech Rep.

Poland

Estland

Overall Index ofGlobalization, World

Heather Hofmeister7

Figure of globalization

IC Technologies expand networks and exchange of

knowledge

IC Technologies expand networks and exchange of

knowledge

Higher levels of cross-border

exchange: goods, services, people

Higher levels of cross-border

exchange: goods, services, people

Increasing uncertainty for employersIncreasing uncertainty for employers

Increasing rates of innovation and

economic and social change

Faster market

transactions

Increasingly volatile and

unpredictable markets

Employers compete by increasing their “flexibility”Employers compete by increasing their “flexibility”

Deregulation and privatization of

industries creates more competition

Deregulation and privatization of

industries creates more competition

Any one market‘s fluctuations affect

other markets

Any one market‘s fluctuations affect

other markets

GLOBALIZATIONGLOBALIZATION

16.11.2006 Dr. Heather Hofmeister8

Institutionally filteredInstitutionally filtered

How are

job security,

flexibility, and

work benefits

organized

How are

job security,

flexibility, and

work benefits

organized

How is the

transition

from education

to work

organized;

what retraining

chances exist

How is the

transition

from education

to work

organized;

what retraining

chances exist

What domain –

state, market,

family – should

protect people

from risk

(insurance, care,

retirement)

What domain –

state, market,

family – should

protect people

from risk

(insurance, care,

retirement)

Figure of globalization 2


Increasing uncertainty for exposed individualsIncreasing uncertainty for exposed individuals


Employment systems

Employment systems

Educationsystems

Educationsystems

WelfareregimesWelfareregimes

How are

families

organized,

who has

caregiving and

earnings

responsibilities

How are

families

organized,

who has

caregiving and

earnings

responsibilities

FamilysystemsFamily

systems


Welfare Regimes: bundles of policies

LiberalSecurity from the market

Family-orientedSecurity from families

ConservativeSecurity from a mix Post-

socialistShared historical context

Social-democraticSecurity from the state

USA

MEX

I

DK

NL

D-W

GB

S EST

H

CZ

E

PL

26 May 2007 Heather Hofmeister10

Female labor force participation as a percent of all women of working age (15-64), 1970-2000

Source: Hofäcker (2006) using OECD Historical Data 2001

Social-democratic

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Year

DKSWE

Conservative

30405060708090

Year

NL

FRA

Germany

Family-oriented

30405060708090

Year

MEXITA

SPA

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Year

Post-socialist

NLHUN

HUN

CZE

EST

26 May 2007 Dr. Heather Hofmeister11

Women’s labor market disadvantage

Women are often caregivers for their

families and children

Employers oftenwitness or assume

(statistical discrimination) less commitment

or experience from women workers or

job candidates Women often are hired last, fired first, paid and promoted

less, and shifted to lower-

prestige jobs


Women‘s vulnerability for flexible work

What women want from flexible work

Whom employers want to hire for flexible work

“Personnel Flexibility”(Personalflexibilität)Available, willing, capable worker who can be hired and released as needed at the lowest possible wages.

“Personal Flexibility”(persönliche Flexibilität)

Secure work organized in a

time-flexible way

Flexible Work


How are women‘s careers unfolding compared to

earlier generations or cohorts of women?

women in other countries? men at the same time in the

same country? (Grunow 2006, Blossfeld et al 2006)


Research questions

1. Where and why are women increasing or decreasing their overall attachment to the labor market?

2. Where and why do women experience better- or worse-quality job chances?

3. Which characteristics make women especially protected or vulnerable? (Such as education, experience, family status?)


Event-history models of employment transitions using longitudinal data.

Cohort comparisons across models of transitions.

Analysis: Case studies of 13 countries

USA

MEX

I

DK

NL

D-W

GB

S EST

H

CZ

E

PL


1. Measuring labor market attachment

Job

Caregiving, not employed

New job

Reentry job

Unemployment

Staying in a job Looking for a job Returning to a job

Dr. Heather Hofmeister17

1. Results for labor market attachment

Rising attachment: 7 countries Declining attachment: 4 countries No change over time: 2 countries

Declining male wages (US, GB)

State support to stay in (S, NL)

High un-employ-ment (PL, H)

State supportto exit (DK)

Flexible work in Maquiladoras (MEX)Educational and service sector expansion (E, D, I)


2. Measuring employment quality change

Job

Caregiving, not employed

New job type higher prestige same level lower prestige

Reentry job type higher prestige same level lower prestige

Unemployment

Change in job prestige Change between employment and unemployment

Dr. Heather Hofmeister19

2. Quality of employment is declining

Declining quality, rising uncertainty: 10 countries Stability in job careers: 3 countries Rising quality, declining uncertainty: 0 countries

State support to keep jobs secure (S, NL, DK)

26 May 2007 Heather Hofmeister20

Summary

1. Women in Europe (and North America) are overall increasingly likely to work for pay, with some exceptions based on institutional settings.

2. Women‘s job quality/stability is declining or staying stable, meaning more movement to lower-quality jobs, to unemployment, and longer job search time.

3. Women‘s own characteristics influence their risks.Especially protected Especially vulnerable

highly educated low-educated more experienced workers frequent exitersfull-time workers part-time workers


Commonalities among women under globalization The quality of women‘s employment is declining or

staying stable. Uncertainty is rising. Disadvantages for mid-life women are similar to

youth: More precarious and lower quality jobs More part-time work More jobs with lower occupational standing/income More and longer unemployment More downward mobility

Coping strategies Fewer and shorter exits at birth of child


What is different between Eastern and Western Europe Poland and Hungary are exceptional in their declines in

women‘s labor market attachment through the 1990s. Discouraging job market situation + alternative role possible

Denmark is also exceptional in its declines in women‘s labor market attachment. Alternative policy for exiting instead of unemployment

Some Western European countries offer more state-organized job protection that protects women‘s career stability -- Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Something we call the transition shock.


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%19

04-1

923

1924

-193

3

1934

-194

3

1944

-195

3

1954

-196

3

1964

-197

3

1974

-198

8

1904

-192

3

1924

-193

3

1934

-194

3

1944

-195

3

1954

-196

3

1964

-197

3

1974

-198

8

1904

-192

3

1924

-193

3

1934

-194

3

1944

-195

3

1954

-196

3

1964

-197

3

1974

-198

8

1988 1994 2002

USA

West Germany

Hungary

Percent of women who agree with the statement: „A man‘s role is to earn money, a woman‘s role is to look after the house and children“ (in % of birth cohort agreeing, 3 time points)

Sources: ISSP, Lück 2006


Institutionally filteredInstitutionally filtered

Figure of globalization 2


... low-educated men and higher-educated women... low-educated men and higher-educated women


Increasing uncertainty for minoritiesIncreasing uncertainty for minorities

... youth... youth

... low-educated women... low-educated women

... higher-educated men... higher-educated men


Conclusions1. Globalization increases uncertainty in most life course

phases related to the labor market in most European countries.

2. Individual resources become increasingly important (e.g., education, experience, ascribed characteristics).

3. No strong line separates the effects of globalization on Eastern versus Western Europe.

4. Changes in domestic institutions (such as, but not limited to, economic transformations) can create newly vulnerable populations, particularly outsiders: often, but not limited to, youth and mid-life women.

prof. dr. heather hofmeister, rwth aachen university

Documents