Working mothers: The legacy of East German culture
Decades after German reunification, women who grew up in East Germany are still quicker to return to work after the birth of a child than mothers who grew up in West Germany, according to new UCL and Queen Mary University of London research. The research, published as Discussion Paper with the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), also shows that women from East Germany still work longer hours even after many years' exposure to West German culture, while West German migrants adjust their post-birth employment behaviour nearly entirely to that of their East German colleagues. Whilst much has been written on the impacts of reunification, few studies have explored cultural exchange between East and West Germany. The research sheds new light on the subject of German reunification, coinciding with the 30th anniversary on 3October. Professor Uta Schönberg (UCL Economics), co-author on the study, said: "Taken together, our results indicate a lasting legacy of the former GDR, both on women in the East and - through migration - on women in the West." PhD candidate Barbara Boelmann (UCL Economics), co-author on the study, added: "Another thing which surprised us was that cultural transmission seems to be asymmetric. It only works coming from a more gender traditional background changing towards a more egalitarian behaviour." The study focused on first-time mothers who gave birth between 2003 and 2006, 13 to 16 years after German reunification.
