NKFIH K131947
2019 – 2022
Project leader: Endre Sik
Our theoretical model emphasizes the intertwined nature of intra-household processes and their interrelatedness with various macro-level processes; institutions into which the household is embedded, such as inter-household networks, labor market and welfare policy opportunity structures, and spatial and infrastructural contexts.
The core of our analysis is the intra-household network capital. Intra-household network capital is built on the inter-household networks household members have. We identify the inter-household networks household members “own” individually and analyze their intra-household distributions, associations and aggregated forms, i.e. the structure of intra-household network capital. We assume that intra-household network capital inequalities are associated with other types of intra-household inequalities.
The novelty of our approach is that we treat individuals not only as isolated actors but also as interrelated ones within the context of the household. The focus of our analysis is network capital, which (1) on the individual level expresses the activity of a household member in the inter-household networks, (2) on the intra-household relational level assesses the position of household members as regards to their network capital compared to each other, and (3) on the household level the aggregated value and structure of all network capital elements.
We intend to work with the 2015 wave of EU-SILC since it contains a special modul with questions on inter-household networking.
The main questions we intend to answer are as follows:
(1) What characterises the household members' inter-household network capital?
(2) How do these networks form intra-household network capital on individual level?
(3) What associations exist between intra-household network capital and other intra-cousehold production, consumption and social reproduction processes?
(4) What are the main types of intra-household relational network capital?
(5) How do these intra-household network capital relations associate with the socio/economic/demographic characteristics of
- the household members (e.g. gender, age, etc.),
- their other intra-household relations (e.g. education, income or satisfaction inequalities, different ethnic background, etc.) and
- the household as an entity (e.g. size, number and age of child(ren), etc.)?
(5) What types of intra-household network capital exist on household level (e.g. network-poor versus network-rich and homophil versus heterophil)?
(6) How are these types of household associated with the external socioeconomic characteristics of the household (e.g. settlement, wealth, region, etc.)?
(7) To what extent are the results of the analysis of the Hungarian data different from to than of other EU countries (with similar economic, demographic and sociological characteristics)?
The main reason why we consider this research relevant is that our household oriented approach helps to make the otherwise invisible intra-household socio-economic processes visible. And it is crucial to understand the macro-sociological inequalities (e.g. income, wealth, gender, etc.) which do not stop at the threshold of the household.
Secondly, our focus on intra-household network capital is relevant since this aspect of intra-household inequality research is rather underdeveloped. We know a lot about gender-related intra-household income, time, and domestic work allocation processes but the network capital aspects are largely missing.
Thirdly, our model uses a large and comparative dataset to analyze inter- and intra-household network capital. This makes possible for us simultaneously overcome both the overgeneralizations of household economics, and the undergeneralizations of anthropology.
The innovative components of our project are as follows:
1. Our main ambition is to illustrate the relevance of household as a complex system. Our focus on network capital is intended to sensitize our fellow researchers to this under-researched aspect of intra-household production, consumption and social reproduction.
2. We underline the relevance of relational analysis within the household and the usefulness of combining it (using multilevel techniques) with the characteristics of the household as an entity.
3. Topic-wise, we intend to raise issues which have not previously been analyzed both in relation to the homo/heterophily of intra-household network capital and to gender.
4. Policy-wise, our aim is to replace the individual versus household/family level dichotomy of policymaking with a triangle which contains the relational aspect of intra-household processes as well. This seemingly small addition would make the currently hidden intra-household inequality aspects visible.
The aim of our research in general is to understand how do household members participate in the process of accumulating network capital in the household. Are there differences between male and female, older and younger generations, those with more or less education, etc.? Are there among the household members network-poor and/or network rich individuals? If there are, how are the differences of "network ownership" associated with other differences among household members such the economically active and inactive or having different ethnic background, etc.?
In the next step we focus on the network capital relations between household members. Are there significant differences in "network ownership" among the household members? If there are, we talk about a heterophil (otherwise a homophil) household. We intend to describe the association among these relation within the household with other intra-household inequalities such as income or education.
Finally, we analyse the amount and composition of network capital of the entire household. We would like to learn what are main social and economic charateristics of network-rich/network-poor and homophil/heterophil households? How are network capital ownership features associated with the life-cycle of the household or whether they live in marrige or in common-law partnership?
Last but not least we are interested to know to what extent are these findings similar to other European countries?