Social Stratification, Family Support and the Timing of First Time Homeownership in Japan

This paper investigates how socioeconomic status and intergenerational relationships affect housing tenure. Although the home serves as a focal point in people's everyday lives and is a key asset of those who dwell there, homeownership has been a neglected area of social stratification research. This study employs a discrete-time logit model to estimate the transition to first time homeownership for the Japanese Panel Survey of Consumers (JPSC), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of 1,500 young women. The study found that: (1) As personal savings increase so does the likelihood of acheving home ownership. (2) While the occupation of the respondents' husband have only a minimal impact, those married to professionals gain an advantage in becoming a homeowner. (3) Those living with their parents and/or who receive gifts or inheritances from their parents have better access to homeownership than those who do not. These findings are consistent with Esping-Andersen 's welfare state regime theory.