Intersectionality and benefit receipt: The interplay between education, gender, age and migration background

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Social Policy
• Public Administration

Background:

• Intersectionality theory highlights the interplay of multiple social dimensions.
• Understanding benefit receipt requires examining how demographic factors combine.
• Existing research often overlooks complex intersectional effects on social welfare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how combinations of demographic variables and education influence benefit receipt.
• To identify relatively advantaged and disadvantaged groups based on intersectional analysis.
• To explore differences in intersectional effects between social assistance and unemployment insurance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized administrative data from Dutch registers for comprehensive population coverage.
• Applied Multilevel Analyses of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA).
• Analyzed the interplay of education, gender, age, and migration background.

Main Results:

• Intersectional group differences in benefit receipt were more pronounced for social assistance than unemployment insurance.
• Complex combinations of demographic factors are necessary to understand benefit receipt disparities.
• MAIHDA identified specific intersectional groups with relative advantages or disadvantages.

Conclusions:

• Benefit receipt is shaped by intricate intersections of social and demographic factors.
• Intersectional approaches are crucial for a nuanced understanding of social welfare disparities.
• Policy interventions may need to consider these complex group dynamics for equitable outcomes.