Forms of parenthood and social inequalities in Hungary today
The patterns of family structure and their changes throughout an individual’s life course are closely linked to various characteristics of social status, indicating that social status plays a crucial role in shaping forms of cohabitation. In other words, different dimensions of social status (e.g., educational attainment, labor market position) act as selection factors in various aspects of demographic behavior and characteristics, which in turn influence cohabitation patterns. At the same time, cohabitation forms themselves can generate social inequalities, such as disparities in wealth, income, and health. In the case of families with children, they may also contribute to inequalities in different outcome dimensions for children.
The role of family structure and its transformations in the reproduction of social inequality and poverty has been a subject of research for several decades (see, e.g., Bernardi & Boertien, 2017; Cherlin, 2014; Esping-Andersen, 2007; McLanahan & Percheski, 2008; Wax, 2007). The relevance of this research topic has grown in recent years due to the increasing diversification of family life courses, which may amplify the impact of family structures within the broader system of social inequality reproduction.
In our study, we focus on one dimension of family structure: the different forms of parenthood. Our analysis extends beyond cohabiting families, as we also examine parents who live separately from their children. Additionally, we include the concept of stepparenting, expanding the scope of traditional family structure research, which has already demonstrated the connection between social status and family types among families with children (Harcsa & Monostori, 2018, 2020).
The current forms of parenthood reflect the demographic events that have shaped an individual’s relationship and parental trajectory. Divorce, parental separation, widowhood, remarriage, entering a new partnership, and the birth of children from different relationships are key events that determine the specific forms of parenthood.