Petr Mateju

The Perceived Value of Education and Educational Aspirations in the Czech Republic: Changes in the Determination of Educational Aspirations between 1989 and 2003.

This article compares the changes in the determination of educational aspirations from the end of the communist period in 1989 to 2003, focusing on a single postcommunist country, the Czech Republic. The Czech case is particularly relevant for comparative research on educational inequality and aspirations, as previous studies have shown that — contrary to one of the main goals of communist ideology — socialism did not equalize access to higher education in the long run (see, e.g., Boguszak, Mateju, and Peschar 1990; Hanley and McKeever 1997). Furthermore, the Czech educational system currently generates more inequality in access to higher education as well as a stronger determination of educational aspirations by social origin than is the case in other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries (Mateju, Rehakova, and Simonova 2007; Mateju et al. 2007). On the basis of those findings, this article examines whether and how these strong determining forces have changed over time. The analysis is made possible by the fact that in 1989, just a few months before the collapse of the Czechoslovak communist regime, a survey was carried out on eighth grade elementary school pupils (around 15 years of age) and their parents, focusing primarily on the process of the formation of beliefs about life success and educational aspirations. By using that survey alongside similar data from PISA 2003, we can historically compare the role of the intergenerational transfer of values about life success, mental ability, and socioeconomic status (SES) in the formation of educational aspirations in adolescents in 1989 and 2003.

Who votes Left after the fall of communism? The Czech Republic in comparative perspective

The results of the Czech parliamentary election held in May 1996 were a surprise to many, due to a considerable increase of the proportion of votes cast for left-wing political parties, particularly for Czech Social Democracy. The principal objective of this paper is to examine the determinants of voting preferences for left-wing political parties in the Czech Republic compared to Hungary and Poland, countries in which the Left significantly improved its standing some time ago. The central hypothesis is that, though the effect of class on voting behavior has been gradually growing in post-communist countries, subjective factors of social stratification (subjective status and income mobility, perception of change in factors determining life-success) are still more important in explaining left-voting than ones objective location in the class structure and intragenerational class mobility between 1989 and 1993. The results and interpretations presented in this article do not take into account the changes in voting behavior in East-Central Europe that have occurred after 1996.

Who Votes Left after the Fall of Communism

The results of the Czech parliamentary election held in May 1996 were a surprise to many, due to a considerable increase of the proportion of votes cast for left-wing political parties, particularly for Czech Social Democracy. The principal objective of this paper is to examine the determinants of voting preferences for left-wing political parties in the Czech Republic compared to Hungary and Poland, countries in which the Left significantly improved its standing some time ago. The central hypothesis is that, though the effect of class on voting behavior has been gradually growing in post-communist countries, subjective factors of social stratification (subjective status and income mobility, perception of change in factors determining life-success) are still more important in explaining left-voting than ones objective location in the class structure and intragenerational class mobility between 1989 and 1993. The results and interpretations presented in this article do not take into account the changes in voting behavior in East-Central Europe that have occurred after 1996.

Educational Expansion and Inequality in Taiwan and the Czech Republic

This article presents a comparative analysis of educational inequality by family background and gender in Taiwan and the Czech Republic, which have both experienced substantial educational expansion in the last half-century under different educational systems. We highlight the specific institutional histories of both countries and examine the role of dead-end tracks in mediating educational inequality by family background. Pooling the most recent data available, we use probit analyses of inequality in secondary and tertiary educational attainment across 5-year birth cohorts from 1956 to 1985. In terms of secondary educational attainment, we find that the gap in inequalities by family background between the countries is large, with a decline in inequality in Taiwan but persistent inequality in the Czech case. We attribute these findings to differences in educational expansion and characteristics of the secondary school system. However, in tertiary educational attainment, we find similarities in educational inequality between the two countries.

Student Financing, Opportunity Growth, and Equity In Access to Higher Education; A Czech-Dutch Comparative Study of Student Support Systems

This article explores the possible effects of student financing on the development of inequalities in access to higher education. Though it is recognized that financial issues like tuition fees and student support are only a few among the many factors that influence student choice and access, financial policies are an important instrument that can influence student choice. This article analyzes the impact of financial conditions on higher education participation among students from different socio-economic backgrounds by comparing the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. These are two countries with important similarities and differences in education systems, student financing and participation patterns in higher education. It is found that the context of steadily increasing tuition fees, accompanied by an efficient student support system (the case of the Netherlands), does not generate inequalities in access, whereas a tuition free system accompanied by mainly indirect (parent-based) student support did not manage to reduce high inequalities in participation after the fall of the communist regime in the Czech Republic.