The Effect of Youth Transition and Resource Base on the Labour Market Success of Descendants of Turkish Migrants to Germany

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 : Introduction

Chapter 2 : Human Capital, Social Capital and Cultural Capital – A Theoretical Discussion and Integration of the Different Concepts

2.1 The Human Capital Concept of Gary Becker

2.2 Pierre Bourdieu’s “Cultural Capital”

2.3 Pierre Bourdieu’s “Social Capital”

2.4 “Social Capital” in the Sociology of Gary Becker and James Coleman

2.5 Integration of the Concepts of Bourdieu, Becker and Coleman – The “Resource Base”

Chapter 3 : The Resource Base and Youth Transitions of Offspring of Migrants and Natives in Germany – An Empirical Comparison

3.1 Methodological Preliminaries

3.1.1 Description of the Data Set Used

3.1.2 Description of the Sample

3.2 Setting Up The Empirical Hypotheses

3.3 Comparing Transitional Patterns Between Groups With Different Parental Migrant Backgrounds

3.4 Defining Transitional Clusters

3.5 Some Interim Conclusions

3.6 Conceptualising Labour Market Success

3.6.1 ‘Linearity’ of Transitions

3.6.2 Some More Interim Conclusions

3.6.3 Job Security and Satisfaction as Measures of Success

3.7 Youth Transitions and the Composition of the Resource Base

3.7.1 Personal Capital I – Educational Qualifications and Job Experience

3.7.2 Personal Capital II – Personal Agency and Language Proficiency

3.7.3 Social Capital

Chapter 4 : Conclusion: How the Resource Base Model Can Help Identify Discrimination

Research Objective & Themes

This dissertation investigates the causes of the relatively disadvantaged labour market position of descendants of Turkish migrants in Germany compared to natives and other migrant groups. The central research objective is to assess the utility of a new, multidimensional “Resource Base” model—synthesizing concepts of human, cultural, and social capital—to explain how youth transition processes impact labour market success.

• Development of the multidimensional "Resource Base" theoretical framework.
• Empirical analysis of youth transition processes from age 16 to 23.
• Comparison of transitional patterns among descendants of German, Turkish, and "other" migrant backgrounds.
• Evaluation of the impact of transitional clusters on long-term labour market success.
• Identification of potential discrimination mechanisms in the transition from school to work.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

Chapter 1 : Introduction: The introduction outlines the social inequality faced by migrants in the German labour market and establishes the academic gap regarding the specific disadvantages of second-generation Turkish migrants.

Chapter 2 : Human Capital, Social Capital and Cultural Capital – A Theoretical Discussion and Integration of the Different Concepts: This chapter reviews Becker’s human capital theory and Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural and social capital, proposing a new integrated “Resource Base” model for empirical analysis.

Chapter 3 : The Resource Base and Youth Transitions of Offspring of Migrants and Natives in Germany – An Empirical Comparison: Using longitudinal GSOEP panel data, this chapter maps transition clusters from age 16 to 23 and tests whether these patterns explain the labour market success of different migrant groups.

Chapter 4 : Conclusion: How the Resource Base Model Can Help Identify Discrimination: The final chapter summarizes the findings, confirming that transition processes significantly influence labour market success, and argues that the Resource Base model can effectively highlight structural and institutional discrimination.

Keywords

Resource Base, Youth Transition, Labour Market Success, Turkish Migrants, Human Capital, Social Capital, Cultural Capital, Social Inequality, Germany, GSOEP, Vocational Training, Discrimination, Cluster Analysis, Second Generation, Social Integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core subject of this dissertation?

The dissertation examines the underlying reasons for the disadvantaged position of second-generation Turkish migrants in the German labour market by analyzing their transition from school to work.

What are the primary themes discussed?

Key themes include the integration of human, social, and cultural capital theories into a new “Resource Base” model, the measurement of youth transitions, and the identification of labor market barriers.

What is the primary research goal?

The goal is to test if the "Resource Base" model can provide better insights into why descendants of Turkish migrants experience significantly worse labor market outcomes than other groups.

Which scientific methodology is employed?

The author uses quantitative methods including cluster analysis, logistic regression, and chi-square tests, based on longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP).

What does the main body of the work cover?

The main body theoretically integrates sociologists like Bourdieu and economists like Becker, then applies this framework to empirical transition data for three specific migrant/native groups.

How is the work characterized by its keywords?

The work is defined by its focus on youth transitions, the composition of capital resources, the measurement of success, and the social dynamics of integration within the German labor market.

Why are transition clusters important in this analysis?

Transition clusters categorize the paths young people take (e.g., long schooling, direct apprenticeship, unemployment), revealing that certain paths, especially those involving unemployment, significantly correlate with lower future success.

How does the author address the issue of discrimination?

The author suggests that the "Resource Base" model helps identify specific life stages—such as the transition into vocational training—where institutional or agentic discrimination may occur, thereby causing or exacerbating existing disadvantages.