Project: Generations and Gender Programme - A European research infrastructure on the causes and consequences of demographic development (GENDER2007)

Aart Liefbroer (project leader), Nicole Hiekel, Tineke Fokkema

The Generations and Gender Programme (GGP) is a European research infrastructure on the causes and consequences of demographic developments. GGP is coordinated by NIDI and involves eleven European research partners, aims to improve the ability of the social sciences to explain the causes and consequences of demographic developments, in particular of the changing relationships between generations and gender, in a manner that will allow sustainable responses to policy challenges. To this end the programme is developing an infrastructure that provides for a breakthrough towards a better understanding of the forces that underlie demographic developments through integrated analyses of the micro-level demographic choices of individuals and households and the various contexts in which they act. The overall programme will develop and refine a multi-disciplinary population survey and a macro-level contextual database that cover the wide range of topics relevant to explaining demographic trends and behaviour, as well as their consequences.

The work builds on the platform of the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP) including the Generations and Gender Survey and the GGP contextual database. NIDI's substantive contribution is fourfold. Firstly NIDI develops new approaches and procedures to data harmonisation and implements the procedures on available GGS datasets. Secondly NIDI is involved in diagnosing panel attrition, including comparative research, and developing recommendations for dealing with incomplete data. Thirdly, NIDI is involved in analyses of data quality, including indicators such as incomplete data, reliability, validity and cross-national construct equivalence. Fourthly, NIDI develops new instruments to measure social support networks and plan future analytical approaches. As of 2009 NIDI is in charge of the overall coordination of GGP which, until that date had been coordinated by the Population Activities Unit of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

More information is available on the project website www.ggp-i.org.

Publications

Beets, G.C.N. (2008),

Tweede leg in een tweede nest; onderzoek haalt stereotypen onderuit. Demos, bulletin over bevolking en samenleving 24 (6): 4-5. [pdf]

Billari, F. & A.C. Liefbroer (2008),

Intergenerational ties: what can be gained from an international perspective? In: A. Booth, A.C. Crouter & S.M. Bianchi (eds.), Intergenerational caregiving. Washington DC: The Urban Institute Press, p. 53-66.