Passing On More Than Genetics: An Analysis Of The Intergenerational Transmission Of Education And Childrens' Perceived Likelihood Of Academic Success

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived likelihood of graduating from college of children growing up in single-mother homes, to children from married-mother homes from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), and compare them based on several factors, including socioeconomic factors and familial factors that may affect their upbringing and future attitude or outlook about graduating from college, and whether an intersection of any of these may make a difference. One of the focuses of the Fragile Families survey was to explore the capabilities and relationship dynamics of unmarried couples, paying special attention to the fathers. However, out of the mother participants, there were three times more single-mothers in the study than married-mothers. Single-mothers are often underrepresented, but in this particular study there is a large sample of single-mothers and non-marital births, which makes the study rich in information about single-mothers and how children born into single-mother households fare in comparison to married-mother households. This study is also a new contribution to FFCWS research, as children's college aspirations and perceived likelihood of graduating from college have not been previously explored.