Dyadic analyses of the effects of atypical work arrangements and employment insecurity on the institutionalization of intimate relationships: Outline of the DFG-funded research project DAUPIN

Abstract

The main research question of the DAUPIN project is how atypical employment constellations of couples affect perceptions of economic insecurity and couples' decisionmaking. In particular, the project examines whether the man's fixed-term employment changes the female's perceptions of economic insecurity and family-related decisions, and whether the female's permanent employment compensates for economic insecurities due to the male's atypical employment. Furthermore, the consequences of couples' family-related attitudes on the labor market transitions of both partners will be investigated. Drawing on economic and sociological approaches to family and labor market processes, a dyadic research framework will be conceptualized that focuses on the consequences of the interplay between actors' and partners' employment statuses for perceived economic insecurities, family-related attitudes, and decision-making. Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) are used to test the hypotheses. The paper presents the main theoretical rationale, research questions, and analytical approaches of each of the project's work packages. Furthermore, descriptive explorations of the dyadic data are presented with a focus on the main theoretical constructs. Finally, the paper discusses some of the methodological challenges posed by missing data in the SOEP employment sequences, as well as possible remedies.