Theoretical Focus
From a theoretical point of view, CLIC focuses on the unequal distribution of resources, and how these play out for individual and socially linked life courses in terms of educational, occupational, demographic, political, and health outcomes. We study the cumulation of advantages and disadvantages within domains across the life course, across domains within a life phase, and across domains across the life course. We have a particular interest in how institutional context matters for life course inequalities. Do societies vary in terms of (the cumulation of) educational, occupational, demographic, and health outcomes, and, if so, why is that the case?
Comparative Dimension
CLIC tries to establish both the generality of findings about the life course found in one particular society and to explain the specific impact of variations in institutional settings and social structures of different societies on specific life phases or the life course as a whole. We combine small-scale experimental studies, single-country longitudinal studies, and comparative studies to answer questions about the conditioning of various sorts of inequality.
Methodological Focus
CLIC uses and produces various sorts of (micro-level and contextual level) data covering various life stages. One important form of data concerns longitudinal data (biographical data, life course data, panel data) from diverse societies. But we also run smaller-scale experiments, use comparative repeated cross-sectional data, and produce panel data in schools.
CLIC tries to establish both the generality of findings about the life course found in one particular society and to explain the specific impact of variation in institutional settings and social structures of different societies on specific life phases or the life course as a whole. An important aim of the Centre is also to apply and further advance innovative methods of longitudinal data analysis.