Political regimes and the family: how sex-role attitudes continue to differ in reunified Germany

We exploit the German separation and later reunification to investigate whether political regimes can shape attitudes about appropriate roles for women in the family and the labor market. During the divided years, East German institutions encouraged female employment, while the West German system deterred women, in particular mothers, from full-time employment. Our results show that East Germans are significantly more likely to hold egalitarian sex-role attitudes than West Germans. Despite a scenario of partial policy convergence after reunification, we find no evidence for a convergence process in gender attitudes. Indeed, if anything, the gap in attitudes rather increased.     

Effect of Berkson measurement error on parameter estimates in Cox regression models

We study the effect of additive and multiplicative Berkson measurement error in Cox proportional hazard model. By plotting the true and the observed survivor function and the true and the observed hazard function dependent on the exposure one can get ideas about the effect of this type of error on the estimation of the slope parameter corresponding to the variable measured with error. As an example, we analyze the measurement error in the situation of the German Uranium Miners Cohort Study both with graphical methods and with a simulation study. We do not see a substantial bias in the presence of small measurement error and in the rare disease case. Even the effect of a Berkson measurement error with high variance, which is not unrealistic in our example, is a negligible attenuation of the observed effect. However, this effect is more pronounced for multiplicative measurement error.     

COMPARATIVE PRODUCT TESTS IN THE CONSUMER DECISION PROCESS: CORRELATES OF USE AND IMPACT ON SATISFACTION *

Information inputs are an important determinant of the quality of outcomes in the consumer decision process. This paper reports on an exploratory study that examines the perceived use of Consumer Reports product tests in a specific durable-product purchase in a nationwide sample of Consumer Reports subscribers. Perceived use of Consumer Reports is found to be related to performance-oriented shopping, but other situation-related variables are less likely to be associated with use than the shopper's general confidence in the test reports as an information source. Perceived use of the test reports in this study is associated with higher satisfaction with the products purchased.     

First German register based census in 2011

Summary The last censuses in Germany were accomplished in 1987 (former federal states) and 1981 (new federal states), respectively. Germany was the only country which did not participate in the EU-wide census in 2000. A traditional census was not feasible on political scale due to high costs and low acceptance by the population. Complete, precise and actual statistical registers as a condition for a register based census, are non-existent in Germany. Official statisticians developed a model for a register based census with interviewer-based surveys kept to a minimum. As the basic conditions were not favourable the model became very complex and many methods and procedures had to be developed for the special case of German registers. Core model elements were tested in a census test, such as quality of registers (e. g. municipal population registers, registers of the federal labour agency) and practicability of procedures (e. g. merging of registers, household generation). The test result was that a register based census is possible but much development work still has to be done, as the registers do not have an acceptable quality yet. Additional interviewer based surveys will be necessary for correction of errors of the register and survey of additional variables. This is also true if measures to improve municipal population registers, e. g. a feedback procedure and a nationwide tax number are taken into account. So these measures will not substitute the additional interviewer based surveys. Provided that the essential investments in development and preparation will be performed, Germany could participate in the 2011 EU-census-round with a register based census at a fraction of the cost of a traditional census. Finally, the census 2011 will show the real quality of the registers, how the model will work throughout the country and which measures have to be taken before the following census.

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Zusammenfassung In Deutschland wurde die letzte Volksz?hlung 1987 (Alte Bundesl?nder) bzw. 1981 (Neue Bundesl?nder) durchgeführt. An dem EU-weiten Zensus um das Jahr 2000 beteiligte sich Deutschland als einziger EU-Staat nicht, da ein herk?mmlicher Zensus aus Kosten- und Akzeptanzgründen politisch nicht durchsetzbar war. Die Voraussetzungen für einen Registerzensus, d. h. Statistikregister, die alle ben?tigten Merkmale mit hinreichender Genauigkeit und Aktualit?t enthalten, waren und sind nicht vorhanden. Amtliche Statistiker entwickelten ein Modell für einen registergestützten Zensus mit einem m?glichst geringen Anteil an prim?rstatistischen Erhebungen. Aufgrund der für einen Zensus auf Basis von Registern ungünstigen Rahmenbedingungen wurde dieses Modell relativ komplex und in vielen Bereichen statistisches Neuland betreten. Wesentliche Elemente des Modells wurden in einem sog. Zensustest überprüft. Getestet wurden insbesondere die Qualit?t und Aktualit?t vorhandener Register, wie Melderegister und Dateien der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, sowie die Eignung und Wirksamkeit der Verfahren, wie Zusammenführungen der Daten aus verschiedenen Quellen und Haushaltegenerierung. Die Tests best?tigten die Machbarkeit des Zensusmodells, zeigten aber gleichzeitig, dass noch umfangreiche Entwicklungsarbeiten erforderlich sind und dass die Register noch keine Qualit?t aufweisen, die einen Verzicht auf prim?rstatistische Erhebungen zur Korrektur und Erg?nzung der Registerergebnisse zulassen. Dies gilt auch unter Berücksichtigung der in den n?chsten Jahren vorgesehenen Ma?nahmen zur Verbesserung der Qualit?t der Melderegister, wie die Einführung eines elektronischen Rückmeldeverfahrens oder die Erg?nzung der Melderegister um eine bundeseinheitliche Steuernummer für jede Person. Soweit in den n?chsten Jahren die erforderlichen Investitionen in Entwicklung und Vorbereitung eines registergestützten Zensus get?tigt werden, k?nnte in Deutschland im Rahmen der n?chsten EU-Zensusrunde ein solcher Zensus im Jahre 2011 zu einem Bruchteil der Kosten eines herk?mmlichen Zensus durchgeführt werden. Erst mit diesem Zensus k?nnte dann letztlich festgestellt werden, welche Qualit?t die Register zu diesem Zeitpunkt aufweisen, wie sich das Modell eines registergestützten Zensus (fl?chendeckend) in der Praxis bew?hrt und welche Ma?nahmen für darauf folgende Zensen in Angriff genommen werden müssen.

     

Survivors'pensions and death benefits: Current issues and future perspectives

With the merits of the survivors'benefits paid by existing social insurance schemes being called into question, it is useful to take a closer look at such benefits and their future prospects. After presenting a detailed review of the relevant aspects of various national legislations, the author describes major recent changes in customs and lifestyles, and the problems to which they have given rise as regards the derivative rights of survivors, particularly in the context of the dissolution or absence of family ties. These problems concern the equality of rights between widows and widowers, the maintenance of protection beyond the usual framework of marriage for divorced persons, and the extension of coverage to unmarried couples who live together. Next the author discusses identifiable trends with a view to discerning options for future policy, and describes reforms to survivors'benefits which have already been implemented or are currently under consideration in several countries.