The Intersection Between Childbearing and Union Status
Harmonized Histories - Germany (East and West)
For Germany, we use data from the first wave of the Generations
and Gender Survey, provided by the Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung
(BiB). The survey was conducted in 2005 and includes respondents aged
17-85 at the time of interview. The total number of respondents is
10,017. For more information on the German data set, see Ruckdeschel
et al. (2006).
Although we include the German GGS in the Harmonized Histories, we
URGE CAUTION in using the union and fertility histories. Comparisons
with other surveys and official estimates show that partnerships in
the German GGS are underreported, in particular for older cohorts
(Kreyenfeld and Kubisch 2009). Births also appear to be over-reported
for the older and underreported for the younger cohorts. Therefore,
we have used other data sets (e.g. PAIRFAM) in some of our papers.
Contact person: Michaela Kreyenfeld
Acknowledgments:
The German data were provided by the Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung
(BIB) (see also Ruckdeschel et al. 2006).
For further information about the GGS, please see here.
For further information about the German GGS, please see here.
For further information about the PAIRFAM, please see here.
References:
Kreyenfeld, M., A. Hornung, K. Kubisch, I. Jaschinski (2010): Fertility and union histories from German GGS data: some critical reflections.
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2010-023.
Ruckdeschel, K., A. Ette, G. Hullen and I. Leven (2006): Generations
and Gender Survey. Dokumetation der ersten Welle der Hauptbefragung
Deutschland. Wiesbaden: Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung.