Inequality of educational opportunity in East and West Germany: convergence or continued differences?

Markus Klein, Katherin Barg, Michael Kühhirt

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

Diversity in education systems, and broader political and economic conditions, are commonly credited with international variation in inequality of educational opportunity (IEO). Comparing East and West Germany before reunification allows us to investigate whether vastly different political, economic and educational systems led to differences in IEO. Post-reunification, East Germany adopted the West's systems and experienced an economic recession. IEO had been smaller in East than in West Germany but was on an upward trajectory before reunification. After 1990, IEO in East Germany converged to the West German level as a result of decreased IEO in the West and increasing levels in the East. Post-reunification convergence suggests differences in political context and education policy are crucial for IEO.
LanguageEnglish
Pages1-26
Number of pages26
JournalSociological Science
Volume6
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 Jan 2019

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German Democratic Republic (GDR)
educational opportunity
reunification
Federal Republic of Germany
economic system
recession
educational system
political system
education system
economics
education

Keywords

  • inequality of educational opportunity
  • Germany
  • reunification
  • education policy
  • comparative research
  • educational reforms
  • education systems
  • German Reunification

Cite this

Klein, Markus ; Barg, Katherin ; Kühhirt, Michael. / Inequality of educational opportunity in East and West Germany : convergence or continued differences?. In: Sociological Science. 2019 ; Vol. 6. pp. 1-26
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Klein, M, Barg, K & Kühhirt, M 2019, 'Inequality of educational opportunity in East and West Germany: convergence or continued differences?' Sociological Science, vol. 6, pp. 1-26. DOI: 10.15195/v6.a1

Inequality of educational opportunity in East and West Germany : convergence or continued differences? / Klein, Markus; Barg, Katherin ; Kühhirt, Michael.

In: Sociological Science, Vol. 6, 10.01.2019, p. 1-26.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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Klein M, Barg K, Kühhirt M. Inequality of educational opportunity in East and West Germany: convergence or continued differences? Sociological Science. 2019 Jan 10;6:1-26. Available from, DOI: 10.15195/v6.a1

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