Reproduction or mobility? The effects of family process variables on intentions to enter higher education

Social disparities in educational participation emerge primarily at points of transition in the education system. Empirical educational research has already documented social disparities at the transition from primary school to the different tracks of the secondary system. Moreover, several studies have shown that not all students take equal advantage of the opportunity to enter higher education, but that college entry is also linked to social background characteristics. The design of many of these studies made it impossible to distinguish between primary and secondary effects of the social background, however. The present article investigates the effects of family structure and process variables on the intentions of final-year Gymnasium students to enter higher education, distinguishing between primary and secondary background effects. Bourdieu's cultural reproduction theory and DiMaggio's cultural mobility theory provide the theoretical framework. The database (N = 4,730) is drawn from the "Transformation of the Secondary School System and Academic Careers " (TOSCA) study. Findings confirm that primary and secondary disparities influence the decision on whether or not to enter higher education. Moreover, the results show that an analysis of social disparities focusing exclusively on family structure variables cannot provide a complete picture of the effects of family background characteristics. Although family structure variables are largely mediated by family process variables, the latter also have effects on the intention to enter higher education that are independent of social background.