Time Of Reunification Research Articles

Formation of College Plans: Expected Returns, Preferences, and Adjustment Process

Abstract We exploit a large exogenous shock to study the formation, and updating, of educational plans, and to examine how these plans ultimately impact later educational attainment. Using novel, longitudinal, microdata on cohorts of East German adolescents before and after the German Reunification (a change for the East from state socialism to capitalist democracy), and using differences across cohorts induced by the timing of Reunification, we show that shortly after relative to before that time, college plans among high-school students increased substantially, which was followed by sizable increases in the completion of the college entrance certificate 5 years later. To shed light on the underlying mechanisms, we analyze the elasticity of youths’ beliefs and preferences with respect to the large shock. Perceived educational returns and risk, economic preferences (“consumerism”) and social preferences (“individualism”) adapt quickly and are directly linked to changes in plans and outcomes. Cohorts closer to critical educational junctions at the time of Reunification, however, adjusted their plans to a much lesser extent. While they similarly updated the expected returns to education, they exhibited a slower adjustment in their preferences relative to younger cohorts.

Heterogeneity in Trajectories of Life Satisfaction After Reunification: The Role of Individual Resources and Life Stage in Former East Germany

For people living in the former East Germany, reunification with the former West Germany fundamentally transformed the sociopolitical system and most domains of everyday life. Previous research has revealed temporal shifts in average life satisfaction after reunification in the former East German population as a whole, but so far little is known about heterogeneity in patterns of adjustment within the population. Building on evidence of considerable diversity in trajectories of adjustment to other critical life events, in the current study we use longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study and growth mixture models to identify typical yet distinct trajectories of life satisfaction among former East Germans, covering the period just before reunification and four years thereafter. We identified four trajectories: continuously satisfied (experienced by 17% of the sample), upward adjusters (24%), downward adjusters (34%), and continuously dissatisfied (25%). Results of logistic regression analyses indicate that the propensity to follow a particular trajectory was strongly predicted by an individual’s baseline economic (employment, but not income), socio-relational (loneliness) and personal (education, satisfaction with health) resources. Whereas former East Germans with more resources just prior to reunification were more likely to maintain high or increase in life satisfaction, their peers with fewer resources were more apt to either maintain low or decrease in life satisfaction. People in their mid-twenties through mid-fifties (i.e., prime working age) at the time of reunification were also more likely to maintain low life satisfaction. Accordingly, reunification affected the unfolding of individual lives differently.

28-year incidence and time trends of childhood leukaemia in former East Germany compared to West Germany after German reunification: A study from the German Childhood Cancer Registry

BackgroundThe aetiology of childhood leukaemia is largely unknown. Analyses of geographical differences may enhance aetiologic insights. The reunification of Germany in 1990 provides a unique opportunity to evaluate incidence patterns and time trends in two merging countries with substantial lifestyle, social and socioeconomic differences. With this study we provide an extensive assessment of 28-year incidence patterns and temporal trends after the German reunification. MethodsWe identified all children diagnosed with a lymphoid leukaemia (LL) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) before the age of 15 years between 1991 and 2018 using the German Childhood Cancer Registry (N = 14,922), and evaluated the incidence pattern and temporal trends in former East Germany compared to West Germany by subtype, age at diagnosis and sex. ResultsIncidence rates of LL were substantially lower (around 20 %) in Eastern Germany compared to Western Germany at the time of reunification. This was followed by a remarkable increase in Eastern Germany across both sexes and age groups until around 2000, when incidence rates reached the same levels as those in Western German federal states. Thereafter, incidence rates remained rather stable with some indications of a slightly decreasing tendency in both Eastern and Western Germany (estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) 2005–2018: East Germany = −0.8 %; West Germany = −0.4 %), driven by the 0- to 4-year olds. Overall, AML incidence rates were stable over time in Western Germany, while EAPC for Eastern Germany indicated an increasing tendency (EAPC 1991−2018 = 1.3 %) driven by the older children, mostly during the early 2000s and in most recent years. ConclusionThe underlying mechanisms driving the childhood leukaemia rates remain inconclusive. Linkage studies including individual and clinical data would be valuable in evaluating the impact of a population’s social, socioeconomic and lifestyle changes on the risk of childhood leukaemia and disease aetiology overall.

Thirty Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall—Do East and West Germans Still Differ in Their Attitudes to Female Employment and the Division of Housework?

Abstract Previous cross-sectional studies highlight persistent East–West differences in gender ideologies after German reunification. This study examines the extent to which gender ideologies in the East and West have converged and whether differences are still relevant for younger cohorts who experienced childhood around the time of reunification, or after 1989. Using data from the German Family Panel pairfam (2008–2019) and differences in regime-specific socialization for three cohorts born before and after reunification, results reveal that different dimensions of gender ideologies have only partly converged 30 years after reunification. Attitudes towards housework and female employment converged particularly, yet, in all cohorts, views on maternal employment remain substantially different between East and West. Observed convergence occurred only partly due to contrasting trends of modernization in West Germany and re-traditionalization in East Germany. Moreover, the results highlight smaller attitude changes with increasing age, particularly for the younger cohorts, contributing to further variations in East–West differences. Overall, the findings confirm the existence of long-lasting ideology differences due to regime-specific socialization, and a persistently altered composition of society in East and West Germany. At the same time, they point towards slow convergence among younger cohorts due to a more similar institutional and socialization context following reunification.

Formation of College Plans: Expected Returns, Preferences and Adjustment Process

We exploit a large exogenous shock to study the determinants of college attendance and the role played by one's environment. We analyze whether, and how quickly, adolescents' college plans are adapted, explore factors leading to the adjustment, and examine how these factors ultimately impact later educational attainment. Using differences across East German cohorts induced by the timing of the German Reunification (a change for the East from state socialism to capitalist democracy), we show that shortly after relative to before that time, college plans among high-school students increased substantially, which was followed by sizable increases in the completion of the college entrance certificate five years later. Our analysis sheds light on the elasticity of beliefs and preferences of different cohorts of youths in the case of a large shock. Perceived educational returns, economic preferences (consumerism) and sociopolitical attitudes (individualism) adapt quickly in response to the shock and are directly linked to changes in plans and outcomes. Cohorts closer to critical educational junctions at the time of Reunification, however, adjusted their plans to a much lesser extent. While they similarly updated the expected returns to education, they exhibited a slower adjustment in their preferences relative to younger cohorts.

The long-lasting impact of unemployment on life satisfaction: results of a longitudinal study over 20\xa0years in East Germany

BackgroundEconomic disruption in East Germany at the time of reunification (1990) resulted in a noticeable increase in unemployment. The present study provides data from a German cohort for over 20 years. The aim was to examine how the frequency of experiencing unemployment affects life satisfaction and whether their relationship changes over time.MethodsIn the Saxon Longitudinal Study, an age-homogeneous sample was surveyed annually from 1987 to 2016. Since 1996, 355 people (54% female) have been examined for issues related to unemployment. Life satisfaction was measured with both the Global Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Questions on Life SatisfactionModules questionnaire.ResultsIn 1996, the participants were 23 years old and 50% of the sample was affected by unemployment. At all 16 different measuring points, participants who were never unemployed indicated higher life satisfaction than those who were once unemployed. The repeatedly unemployed consistently reported the lowest values of life satisfaction. In each year, there were significant differences with small to medium effect sizes.ConclusionOur results support the notion that the adverse effects of unemployment on life satisfaction increase with the time spent unemployed. In 2016, only 2% of the cohort were currently unemployed, but differences between people with and without unemployment experience still exist. This indicates that the negative effect of the unemployment experience will last for a very long time. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates the effect so persistently at so many measurement points for over 20 years.

Health Convergence Between East and West Germany as Reflected in Long-Term Cause-Specific Mortality Trends: To What Extent was it Due to Reunification?

The sizeable mortality gap between the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the pre-unified Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) narrowed rapidly after the two states were unified. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms underlying the convergence process are still not fully understood. Significant changes to coding practices and the system of data collection introduced in East Germany shortly after reunification have further complicated the ability of researchers to interpret mortality trends. Our aim is to assess the role of German reunification in the convergence process in light of the evolution of long-term mortality trends by causes of death. Compared to previous studies, we rely on much more detailed mortality data, which we first adjust for notable distortions. We propose an upward correction of cancer mortality, as well as corrections that account for obvious changes in the items selected within the ICD chapter of circulatory diseases. We identify three distinct processes that took place in East Germany around the time of reunification: (1) a sustained reduction in mortality that started before reunification; (2) a temporary increase in mortality in 1990–1991 that was related to the abrupt social transition, as reflected by socially sensitive causes such as accidents, alcohol-related diseases, and acute myocardial infarction; and (3) a reunification-driven process of convergence that was mostly caused by the accelerated decline in mortality from cerebrovascular and chronic heart diseases. Mortality improvements observed in the GDR starting in the 1980s might be interpreted as the first signs of a cardiovascular revolution. Shifts in individual behaviour likely started before reunification, whereas the real progress in medical care occurred later with the implementation of the Western system of health care. We therefore conclude that German reunification per se did not initiate the convergence process, but rather reinforced and accelerated trends that were already apparent.

통일 시기 남북 전문용어 표준화 정책에 대한 소고

Cho, Tae-rin. 2017. “A Study on South Korean and North Korean Terminology Standardization Policy at the Time of Reunification”. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 25(3). 299~326. The Purpose of this paper is to draw a blueprint for the standardization policy of South Korean and North Korean terminology at the time of reunification of two Koreas. Firstly, this paper examines the necessity of South Korean and North Korean terminology standardization and seeks the future direction of standardization. Then, the objects, principles, system, and procedure of standardization enforcement are discussed, specifically focussing on the terms that are urgently standardized at the time of reunification, namely administrative terms(as public language and terminology) and educational terms(concluding vocabulary in subject and vocabulary of instruction). Finally, this paper concludes by proposing two supporting systems for the South Korean and North Korean terminology standardization. These two supporting systems, that is, the committee for terminology standardization and the on-line management system for terminology standardization, consider efficiency of policy and domain expertise.

Germany: Twenty Years After The Union

One of the most important events in the world after World War II was the reunification of Germany, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The aim of this paper is to discuss the general economic conditions in Germany, before and after the reunification. This paper is divided into four parts. The introductory section provides a summative discussion of the economic conditions in East and West Germany from World War II until the time of reunification. The second section presents an evaluation of the German economy since the reunification. The third section presents macroeconomic data to illustrate the general impact of the unification on the German economy. The final section offers concluding remarks and recommendations.

Changes in social inequality with respect to health-related living conditions of 6-year-old children in East Germany after re-unification

BackgroundSince Germany re-unified in 1990, substantial social and economic changes have happened in East Germany, the former socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of these socio-economic changes in East Germany on the association between social status, measured by parental educational level, and health-related living conditions of children during the ten-year period after re-unification.MethodsIn total, 25,864 6-year-old school beginner children (51.2% male and 48.8% female) participated in cross-sectional studies which have been repeated every year from 1991 to 2000 in East Germany. Parental educational level as a social indicator was the independent variable. Dependent variables included not employed parents, small living space and health-related living conditions (e. g. damp housing, single oven heating and living at busy road). The relationships were described by odds ratios using logistic regression.ResultsA large overall effect of parental educational level on health-related living conditions was observed. The time trends showed that the situation regarding small living space, damp housing conditions and single oven heating improved from 1991 to 2000, while regarding not employed parents (1996–2000) and living at busy road (1991–2000) did not, but even deteriorated. 6-year old children with low parental educational level, who lived at the time of re-unification, were often under damp housing conditions and with single oven heating at homes. Nevertheless, this social inequality has almost vanished ten years later. In contrast, we found an increasing gap between low and high parental educational level with respect to the proportion of parents who were not employed (22%: 4% gain), or lived under cramped housing conditions (22%: 37% reduction), or close to a busy road (7% gain: 2% reduction).ConclusionThe social inequalities which already existed under the socialist system in East Germany persisted in the system of social market economy between 1991 and 2000. 6-year-old children from families with the lowest social status were living under the worst domestic conditions (e. g. living at busy road, having damp housing conditions, single oven heating and small living space) and for some conditions (e. g. living at busy road and having small living space) the gap betweenlow and high social status was even bigger in 2000 than in 1991.

Os guias turísticos em Berlim

Este artigo aborda o tema das narrativas sobre a cidade de Berlim presentes em folhetos, livros de história e guias turísticos, em distintos momentos históricos: o período pós-guerra, a época da divisão (Leste e Oeste) e o momento mais recente de reunificação, condizente com a instituição de uma capital multicultural. As reflexões acentuam o modo como diferentes espaços, monumentos e edificações são evocados e submetidos a processos simbólicos, processos esses que revelam disputa entre memórias e apontam constantes redefinições da relação entre passado e presente. Ressalta-se, dessa perspectiva de análise, uma metodologia de observação sobre as narrativas da cidade que pode ser ampliada a outras experiências urbanas.

Die Angleichung der Verkehrsinfrastruktur im vereinigten Deutschland zwischen 1990 und 1999


 
 
 The quality of transport infrastructure has a major impact on the economic development of regions. Where it is inadequate — as it was in the former GDR at the time of reunification — it can act as a factor stifling growth. For politics, the goal therefore was at that time — and still remains — to improve on the situation found. This article attempts to provide an appraisal of the success to date of attempts to bring about this improvement. As far as rail transport is concerned, counties in the “newLänder” (of the former East Germany) now on average have better connections to the network than counties in western Germany. However, disparities between urban and rural areas have increased considerably. By contrast, relatively little progress has been made so far in up-grading and adding to the road network.
 
 
 
 
 

Mechanisms and advances in allergic diseases

There have been many attempts to explain the increases in the incidence of allergic diseases, including hay fever and allergic asthma, that have been documented worldwide in recent decades. Epidemiologic studies offer rich opportunities to uncover sometimes unexpected correlations between lifestyle, environmental exposures, temporal development of the immune system, and genetics. Examples include the differing prevalence of atopy, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and asthma in East and West Germany around the time of reunification, which suggests that a ″western” lifestyle presents a greater risk for the development of allergic responses than the more traditionally suspected factor of outdoor air pollutant levels. Other epidemiologic studies suggest how infections may interface with an atopic patterning: Evidence from natural measles exposure and nonwheeze-inducing lower respiratory tract infections in young children implicate early childhood viral infections as protective against the development of atopy and airway allergic sensitivity, although in later life viral airway infections exacerbate asthma symptoms. These studies and others involving the scrutiny of lymphocyte subtypes in atopic individuals, notably TH1 and TH2 cells, are helping to formulate a theory of interdependence between the early development of the immune system, allergen exposure, and the diverse community of airway cells whose secretory products generate the final physiologic response pattern. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105:S593-8.)

Mechanisms and advances in allergic diseases

<h2>Abstract</h2> There have been many attempts to explain the increases in the incidence of allergic diseases, including hay fever and allergic asthma, that have been documented worldwide in recent decades. Epidemiologic studies offer rich opportunities to uncover sometimes unexpected correlations between lifestyle, environmental exposures, temporal development of the immune system, and genetics. Examples include the differing prevalence of atopy, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and asthma in East and West Germany around the time of reunification, which suggests that a ″western" lifestyle presents a greater risk for the development of allergic responses than the more traditionally suspected factor of outdoor air pollutant levels. Other epidemiologic studies suggest how infections may interface with an atopic patterning: Evidence from natural measles exposure and nonwheeze-inducing lower respiratory tract infections in young children implicate early childhood viral infections as protective against the development of atopy and airway allergic sensitivity, although in later life viral airway infections exacerbate asthma symptoms. These studies and others involving the scrutiny of lymphocyte subtypes in atopic individuals, notably T_H1 and T_H2 cells, are helping to formulate a theory of interdependence between the early development of the immune system, allergen exposure, and the diverse community of airway cells whose secretory products generate the final physiologic response pattern. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105:S593-8.)

Images of America in unified Germany

The following article analyses American cultural influence on Germany - especially in the period after unification. “Wendeliteratur" as well as new cultural relations and institutions are emphasised. The role of the mass media, which have conveyed the image of the American way of life, American products and services to East German is also discussed. For a better understanding of these images the author takes a closer look at what “Americanisation" really means to European cultures. All too often cultural observers state that Europe has been exposed to a pernicious Americanism. Such attitudes, however, should caution us against a too negative image of America. Although German-American relations during the post-war period had their ups and downs, West Germans on the whole developed a positive image of America, internalising American cultural elements as part of their own identification. The East Germans, on the other hand, it will be argued, while developing an enthusiasm for America at the time of reunification, turned more and more to a very critical, rather cynical view of American culture, thus letting euphoria fade to a very rational image.

Threat Environment for a United Korea: 2010

Threat Environment for a United Korea: 2010

Inequality in Income: a Comparison of East and West Germans Before Reunification and During Transition

This article analyses the income distribution of East Germany at the time of reunification with West Germany, the pertod 1990 to 1993. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (GSOEP), we compare the situ ation in East Germany on the eve of the union to that in West Germany. We then analyse the change of relative income positions of certain social groups — such as lone-parent households and the aged - in the three years following reunification. The article also provides a dis cussion of the measurement problems that arise when comparing income distributions across nations and across time. The data proves that the general income distribution in East Germany — starting from a very low level of inequality — is slowly approaching West German standards. It appears that persons in similar socio-demographic groups are in com parable relative income positions in both regions. In East Germany unemployment is of increasing importance as a source of decline in economic well-being .