Transition to adulthood of Second generation migrants

2019 - 2022 - Terminé Enfance jeunesse famille, Migration

Milena Chimienti , Claudio Bolzman , Jean-Marie Le Goff (UNIL), Eduardo Guichard

This project is part of the NCCR LIVES – third phase. The objective of this project is to study the inequalities and vulnerabilities which are specific to the individuals belonging to children of migrants born in Switzerland.

This project is part of the NCCR LIVES – third phase (IP6. Gender, Mobility and Vulnerabilities lead by Nicky Le Feuvre and Eric Davoine) financed by the SNF (2019-2022). The objective of this project is to study the inequalities and vulnerabilities which are specific to the individuals belonging to children of migrants born in Switzerland. Based on the LIVES COHORT study, this sub-project will study the trajectories of family formation, the early careers and the social integration of second-generation youths. It will then compare their processes of accumulation of resources with those of young adults of native-Swiss origin. Several theories have been proposed in the literature to explain the mechanisms of divergence during the life course that could be summarized with two hypothesis: the “path-dependency” and the “cumulative exposure” hypothesis (Burton-Jeangros and Widmer 2009; Di Prete and Eirich 2006; Sapin et al. 2007). The “path dependency” hypothesis assumes that an initial disadvantage or advantages – related here to the migratory background or the native origin in the case of children of Swiss natives – leads to long terms inequalities or resources in different areas such as for instance education trajectories; these inequalities (or resources) create new disadvantages (or new advantages) at a next stage of their lives such as for instance the transition to the labour market. The “cumulative exposure” hypothesis does not only suppose that the migratory background remains influential during the whole life course, but also emphasis that the related disadvantages or advantages are accumulated at each stages of their lives. This creates an inflation of positive or negative effects. This research project aims to answer to the following questions: Do trajectories during the transition to adulthood correspond to a mechanism of path dependency or do they correspond to a mechanism of cumulated advantages or disadvantages? As the transition to adulthood, especially during the transition to parenthood, crystalizes gender differences, this project will seek in particular to understand how gender intersects with the migratory and socio-economic background in the accumulation of advantages or disadvantages.