The main research goal of the present project aims at explanating and describing the reproductive patterns of the Polish population with the use of Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social classes. Notion of reproductive patterns marks as individual behaviour and decisions related to family and union formation, number of children, timing of reproduction, attitudes towards roles and duties within a household, as well as intergenerational transmission of norms and values. This research goal will be achieved as a result of reconstruction of social classes with the use of quantitative data on employment histories (ISCO codes).
Therefore, we are firstly going to address the question of whether social class affiliation has a differential effect with respect to the aforementioned aspects of reproductive patterns. Are there any class specific differences in relation to reproductive patterns as compared to the effect of educational attainment? This question seems to be of crucial importance, taking into account the so-called “educational expansion”, resulting in upward educational mobility.
Thus, we would like to compare which of these two measures - “educational attainment” or “social class” - seems to be a factor differentiating the reproductive patterns of the Polish population and answer whether “educational attainment” is a fairy good predictor that allows one to capture the different approaches and attitudes related to family formation and childbearing or whether “social class” might be perceived as a better predictor, since it integrates the economic, cultural and social dimension of individual decision-making process. This question arises from observed tensions, in contemporary Poland, between formal education and labour market achievements. This tension, according to many scholars, strongly influences reproductive patterns.