Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Estimable Functions of Age, Period and Generation Effects: A Political Application

  • Published:
Quality and Quantity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In traditional social research, it is customary to assume that the birth cohort, period and age are scaled as follows: cohort = period – age. Starting from this constraint, the joint analysis of the three effects is not estimable, as one phenomenon is completely determined by the remaining two. In this study we will see how, in given situations, the use of the concept of political generation, to replace the cohort concept normally used, allows us to overcome this obstacle and how in this case estimable models may easily be created.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price includes VAT (France)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • D. F. Alwin R. J. McCammon (2003) Generations, cohorts, and social change J. T. Mortimer M. J. Shanahan (Eds) Handbook of the Life Course Kluwer Academic New York 23–50

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Barbagli M. Pisati (1995) Rapporto sulla situazione sociale a Bologna Il Mulino Bologna

    Google Scholar 

  • P. B. Baltes S. W. Cornelius J. R. Nesselroade (1979) Cohort effects in developmental psychology J. R. Nesselroade P. B. Baltes (Eds) Longitudinal Research in the Study of Behaviour and Development Academic Press New York 61–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Y. M. M. Bishop S. E. Fienberg P. Holland (1975) Discrete Multivariate Analysis: Theory and Practice The MIT Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • W. A. V. Clark (1986) ArticleTitleResidential segregation in American cities: a review and interpretation Population Research and Policy Review 5 95–127 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00137176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Corbetta (2002) Le generazioni politiche M. Cacciagli P. Corbetta (Eds) Le ragioni dell’elettore: perché ha vinto il centro-destra nelle elezioni italiane del 2001 Il Mulino Bologna 79–112

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Crittenden (1963) ArticleTitleAging and Political Participation. The Western Political Quarterly A Symposium: The 1962 Elections in the West 16 323–331

    Google Scholar 

  • D. M. Cutler E. L. Glaeser J. L. Vigdor (1999) ArticleTitleThe rise and decline of the American Ghetto The Journal of Political Economy 107 455–506 Occurrence Handle10.1086/250069

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G. Farkas (1977) ArticleTitleCohort, age, and period effects upon the employment of white females, evidence for 1957–1968 Demography 14 33–42

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Firebaugh (1989) ArticleTitleMethods for estimating cohort replacement effects Sociological Methodology 19 243–262 Occurrence Handle10.2307/270954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. E. Fienberg W. M. Mason (1979) ArticleTitleIdentification and estimation of age-period-cohort models in the discrete archival data Sociological Methodology 10 1–67 Occurrence Handle10.2307/270764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glenn N.D. (1972). Sources of the shift to political independence: some evidence from a cohort analysis. Social Science Quarterly. 494–519.

  • N. D. Glenn (1977) Cohort Analysis Sage Beverly Hills

    Google Scholar 

  • N.D. Glenn (1976) ArticleTitleCohort analysts’ futile quest: statistical attempts to separate age, period and cohort effect American Sociological Review 41 900–904 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2094738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N. D. Glenn (2003) Distinguishing age, period, and cohort effects J. T. Mortimer M. J. Shanahan (Eds) Handbook of the Life Course Kluwer Academic New York 465–476

    Google Scholar 

  • N. D. Glenn T. Hefner (1972) ArticleTitleFurther evidence on aging and party identification The Public Opinion Quarterly 36 31–47 Occurrence Handle10.1086/267973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D.I. Kertzer (1983) ArticleTitleGeneration as a sociological problem Annual Review of Sociology 9 125–149 Occurrence Handle10.1146/annurev.so.09.080183.001013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knoke D. & Hout M. (1974). Social and demographic factors. In: American political party affiliations, 1952–72. American Sociological Review 39: 700–713.

  • D. Knoke M. Hout (1976) ArticleTitleReply to Glenn American Sociological Review 41 905–908 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2094740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. L. Kupper J. M. Janis A. Karmous B. G. Greenberg (1985) ArticleTitleStatistical age-period-cohort analysis: A review critique Journal of Chronic Diseases 38 811–830 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0021-9681(85)90105-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. W. Hosmer S. Lemeshow (2000) Applied Logistic Regression2 John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York Occurrence Handle10.1002/0471722146

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • R. Inglehart (1977) The Silent Revolution Princeton University Press Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Inglehart (1990) Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society Princeton University Press Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Mannheim (1927) The Problem of Generations K. Mannheim (Eds) Essay on the Sociology of Knowledge Routledge & Kegan London

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Mannheimer G. Sani (1987) II mercato elettorale. Identikit dell’elettore italiano II Mulino Bologna

    Google Scholar 

  • K. P. Mason H. H. Winsborough W. M. Mason W. K. Poole (1973) ArticleTitleSome methodological issue in cohort analysis of archival data American Sociological Review 38 242–258 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2094398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W. M. Mason S. E. Fienberg (1985) Specification and implementation of age, period and cohort models: beyond the identification model S. E. Fienberg W. M. Mason (Eds) Cohort Analysis in Social Science Springer-Verlag inc New York

    Google Scholar 

  • P. L. McCall K. C. Land (2004) ArticleTitleTrends in environmental lead exposure and trouble youth, 1960–1995: an age-period-cohort-characteristic analysis Social Science Research 33 339–359 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.ssresearch.2003.06.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W. J. McAuley C. L. Nutty (1982) ArticleTitleResidential preferences and moving behaviour: A family life-cycle analysis Journal of Marriage and the Family 44 301–309 Occurrence Handle10.2307/351540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W. L. Rodgers (1982) ArticleTitleEstimable functions of age, period and cohort effects American Sociological Review 47 774–787 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2095213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura T. (1986). Bayesian cohort models for general cohort table analyses. In: Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics 38.

  • M. R. O’Brien J. Stosckard L. Isaacson (1999) ArticleTitleThe enduring effects of cohort characteristics on age-specific homicide rates, 1960–1996 The American Journal of Sociology 104 1061–1095 Occurrence Handle10.1086/210136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E. Palmore (1978) ArticleTitleWhen can age, period, and cohort be separated? Social Force 57 282–295 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2577639

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. D. Putnam (2000) Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community Simon & Schuster New York

    Google Scholar 

  • M. W. Riley (1973) ArticleTitleAging and cohort succession: Interpretation and misinterpretations The Public Opinion Quarterly 37 35–49 Occurrence Handle10.1086/268058

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N. B. Ryder (1965) ArticleTitleThe cohort as a concept in the study of social change American Sociological Review 30 843–861 Occurrence Handle10.2307/2090964

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R.V. Robinson (1993) ArticleTitleEconomic necessity and the life cycle in the family economy of nineteenth-century indianapolis The American Journal of Sociology 99 49–74 Occurrence Handle10.1086/230229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R.V. Robinson E. F. Jackson (2001) ArticleTitleIs trust in others declining in america? An age-period-cohort analysis Social Science Research 30 117–145 Occurrence Handle10.1006/ssre.2000.0692

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C. Rexoroat C. Shehan (1987) ArticleTitleThe family life cycle and spouses’ Time in Housework Journal of Marriage and the Family 49 737–750 Occurrence Handle10.2307/351968

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Sasaki T. Suzuki (1987) ArticleTitleChanges in religious commitment in the United States, Holland, and Japan The American Journal of Sociology 92 1055–1076 Occurrence Handle10.1086/228627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. E. Tolnay (2003) ArticleTitleTrends in the relative occupational status of African American and European immigrants in Northern cities, 1880-1970 Social Sciences Research 32 603–632 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0049-089X(03)00019-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bologna, via Filippo Re, 6, I-40126, Italy

    Ettore Scappini

Authors
  1. Ettore Scappini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ettore Scappini.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Scappini, E. The Estimable Functions of Age, Period and Generation Effects: A Political Application. Qual Quant 40, 759–781 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-3267-7

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-3267-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation