Professor Pablo Gracia
Professor In, Sociology
Biography
Pablo Gracia is Professor in Sociology at Trinity College Dublin. He obtained his PhD in Sociology at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (2008/12) and got further PhD training at the University of Oxford (2010/12). Prof. Gracia has been Postdoctoral Researcher at the Amsterdam Centre for Inequality Studies from the University of Amsterdam (2012/15) and Max Weber Fellow from the European University Institute in Florence (2015/17). He has been visiting scholar at New York University, University College London, Berlin Social Science Centre (WZB), University of Mannheim (MZES), and the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) in Paris, among other leading academic institutions in his research fields. At Trinity, Prof. Gracia is leading a scientific team researching Families and Inequalities. He has received more than €3 million as PI or country-level PI to lead multiple projects funded by prestigious international and national funding agencies, such as the European Research Council, Horizon Europe, the Irish Research Council, and the Spanish State Research Agency. Since arriving to Trinity in 2017, Prof. Gracia has received funding as senior PI from the Trinity Provost Project Award (2017), Enterprise Ireland (2018, 2022), TCD Arts and Social Sciences Benefactions Fund (2018, 2019), Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Programme (2019), the European Commission Horizon 2020 as Irish PI (2020), the IRC Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship (2020, 2022), and the European Research Council with an ERC Consolidator Grant (2023). Prof. Gracia's ongoing research focuses on four main areas: 1) Social Inequalities in Child Development; (2) Impacts of Digital Use on Adolescent Well-Being; (3) Adolescents' Time-Use Patterns in Micro-Macro Contexts; and (4) Gender Inequalities in Time Use and Mental Well-Being. Prof. Gracia has published at high-impact journals across Sociology (e.g., European Sociological Review; Journal of Marriage of Family; Information, Communication & Society; Social Science Research), Demography (e.g., European Journal of Population; Advances in Life Course Research; Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies; Demographic Research) and Media (New Media & Society). He is currently Associate Editor of the journal 'European Societies', and editorial board member of 'Social Inclusion' and the 'Journal of Time Use Research'. His research is disseminated across multiple national and international media platforms, and it also involves active collaborations with various stakeholders, including the Irish NGO 'One Family' as part of a project focused on promoting mothers' and children's mental health in lone-parent families. At Trinity College, he teaches undergraduate and post-graduate courses on Families and Gender, Social Inequalities, Comparative Sociology, General Sociology, and Research Design. Prof. Gracia has had various key institutional roles in Trinity since 2017, including School Deputy Research Director, Department Research Coordinator, Department Study Abroad Coordinator, Department Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies, and College Tutor.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
García-Román, J., Gracia, P. & Zerbini, G., Cross-National Differences in Adolescents' Sleep Patterns: A Time-Use Approach, International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 2024
Baranowska-Rataj, A., Gracia, P. & Schulz, W., Families' Resilience and Youth Well-Being in Contexts of Global Socioeconomic Crises (Special Collection), Demographic Research, 2024
Metzger, S. & Gracia, P. , Gender Differences in Mental Health following the Transition into Parenthood: Longitudinal Evidence from the UK, Advances in Life Course Research , 2023
Gracia, P., Children's and Adolescents' Daily Activities: A Micro-Macro Approach in, editor(s)Sullivan, O. & Bittman, M. , Research Handbook on Time-Use and Society. Edward Elgar, Edward Elgar, 2023, [Gracia, Pablo]
Han, W.H., Gracia, P. & Li, J., Parental Work Schedules and Hours in 29 European Countries, 2005-2015: A Welfare State Comparison in, editor(s)Repo, K., Tammelin, M. & Eerola, P. , Families with Children in a Turbulent Era, Edward Elgar, 2023, [Han, W.H., Gracia, P. & Li, J.]
Bohnert, M. & Gracia, P., Digital Use and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Adolescent Well-Being: Longitudinal Evidence on Socioemotional and Educational Outcomes, Journal of Adolescence, 2023
Nordrum, E. & Gracia, P., Impacts of Broadband Internet on Adolescents' Academic Outcomes: Heterogenous Effects among Lower Secondary School Students in Norway, Information, Communication & Society, 2023
Gracia P., Bohnert, M. & Celik, S. Digital Inequalities, Time Use and Adolescents' Well-Being: The Role of Gender and Socioeconomic Status in, editor(s)Skopek , Research Handbook on Digital Sociology, Edward Elgar, 2023, [Gracia, P., Bohnert, M. & Celik, S.]
Chambers, D. & Gracia, P. , A Sociology of Family Life: Change and Diversity in Intimate Relations, Polity Press, 2022
Cano, T. & Gracia,. P., The Gendered Effect of Divorce on Mothers' and Fathers' Time with Children and Children's Developmental Activities: A Longitudinal Study, European Journal of Population, 2022
Gracia, P., García-Román, J., Oinas, T., & Anttila, T., Gender Differences in Child and Adolescent Daily Activities: A Cross-National Time Use Study, Acta Sociologica, 2022
García-Román, J. & Gracia, P., Gender Differences in Time Use Across Age Groups: A Study of Ten Industrialized Countries, 2005-2015, PLoS ONE , 2022
Gracia, P., García-Román, J., Oinas, T., & Anttila, T. , Gender Gaps in Child and Adolescent Time Use: A Cross-National Comparison, Population Association of America (Online), 2021
Gracia, P., Han, WJ. & Li, J. , Nonstandard Work Schedules in 29 European Countries, 2005-2015: Differences by Education, Gender and Parental Status, Monthly Labor Review, 2021
Bohnert, M. & Gracia, P., Emerging digital generations? Impacts of child digital use on mental and socioemotional well-being across two cohorts in Ireland, 2007 - 2018, Child Indicators Research, 2021
Cano, T. & Gracia, P. , Gendered Effects of Parental Separation on Child Time Investments: A Longitudinal Time-Diary Approach, Population Association of America (Online), 2021, 2021
Gracia, P., Review of Ellen Helsper: The Digital Disconnect: The Social Causes and Consequences of Digital Inequalities., New, Media & Society, 2021
Children's Time Use: Past, Present and Future in, editor(s)Cook, T. D. , The SAGE Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood Studies, Sage, 2020, pp504 - 506, [Gracia, P.]
Gracia, P., Garcia-Roman, J., Oinas, T., & Anttila, T. , Child and Adolescent Time Use: A Cross National Study, Journal of Marriage and Family, 82, (4), 2020, p1304 - 1325
Gracia, P., Jui-Han, W. & Li, J., Parents' Work Schedules and Hours in 29 European Countries, 2005-2015, Population Association of American Annual Conference, Washington DC, United States, 2019
Gracia, P & Cano, T. , Parental Separation, Child Time Investments and Life-Course Dynamics, Population Association of American Annual Conference, Washington DC, United States., 2019
Gracia, P. & Garcia-Román, J., Child and Adolescent Developmental Activities and Time Use in Spain: The Gendered Role of Parents' Work Schedules and Education Levels, European Sociological Review, 5, (1), 2018, p518 - 538
Gil-Hernandez, C. & Gracia, P., Adolescents' Educational Aspirations and Ethnic Background: The Case of Students of African and Latin American Migrant Origin in Spain, Demographic Research, 2, 2018, p1 - 32
Gracia, P. & Garcia-Roman, J. , Adolescents' Time Use in Context: Institutional, Demographic, and Socioeconomic Factors, European Population Conference, Brussels, Belgium., 2018
Gracia, P., Ghysels, J., Educational inequalities in parental care time: Cross-national evidence from Belgium, Denmark, Spain, and the United Kingdom, Social Science Research, 63, 2017, p166 - 180
Gracia, P., Vázquez-Quesada, L., Van de Werfhorst, H.G., Ethnic penalties? The role of human capital and social origins in labour market outcomes of second-generation Moroccans and Turks in the Netherlands, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 42, (1), 2016, p69-87
Roeters, A., Gracia, P., Child Care Time, Parents' Well-Being, and Gender: Evidence from the American Time Use Survey, Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25, (8), 2016, p2469-2479
Gracia, P., Social Stratification and Parental Care: An Analysis of the Spanish Case, Barcelona, Spain, La Caixa Obra Social Foundation, 2016
Gracia, P., Kalmijn, M., Parents' Family Time and Work Schedules: The Split-Shift Schedule in Spain, Journal of Marriage and Family, 78, (2), 2016, p401 - 415
Gracia, P., Parent-child leisure activities and cultural capital in the United Kingdom: The gendered effects of education and social class, Social Science Research, 52, 2015, p290-302
Gracia, P. & Ghysels, J., Educational Differences in Parents' Child Care Time in Cross-National Perspective, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, San Diego, United States, 2015
Gracia, P., Esping-Andersen, G., Fathers' child care time and mothers' paid work: A cross-national study of Denmark, Spain, and the United Kingdom, Family Science, 6, (1), 2015, p270-281
Gracia, P., Fathers' child care involvement and children's age in Spain: A time use study on differences by education and mothers' employment, European Sociological Review, 30, (2), 2014, p137-150
Gracia, P., Review of: J.Treas & S.Drobnic [eds.] [2010]. 'Dividing the domestic. Men, women and household work in cross-national perspective, European Sociological Review, 29, (2), 2013, p404-406
Esping-Andersen, G., Boertien, D., Bonke, J., Gracia, P., Couple specialization in multiple equilibria, European Sociological Review, 29, (6), 2013, p1280-1294
Parenting and Inequality in, editor(s)Christina Inbakaran & Marie-Louise Van Der Klooster , 2012 Time Use, Melbourne, Deakin University., 2013, pp5 - 6, [Gracia, P.]
Gracia, P., Father's Child Care Involvement in Spain: Education, Women's Employment, and Children's Age, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, New Orleans, United States., 2013
Gracia, P. & Delclos, C., Review of: William J.Wilson [1987]. 'The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy, Athenea Digital, 12, (1), 2012
Gracia, P., Diverging Parenting Behavior: Education, Gender, Class, and Institutions., Pompeu Fabra University , 2012
Gracia, P. & Ghysels, J., Parental Care Time Allocation in Four European National Contexts, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, United States , 2011
Gracia, P. & Bellani, D., Las políticas de conciliación en España y sus efectos: un análisis de las desigualdades de género en el trabajo del hogar y el empleo, Fundación Alternativas - Estudios de Progreso. Num. 51., 2010
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Gracia, P. , Parental Separation, Parent-Child Time, and Children's Daily Activities in Australia: A Longitudinal Study, Population and Health Research Group Seminars , University of St Andrews, 2021
Metzger, S. & Gracia, P., Transition to Parenthood, Gender and Well-being: A Longitudinal Study of the United Kingdom. SocArxiv. https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/8vcyn/, 2021
Torres, A., La epidemia agrava la brecha educativa: las familias con menos recursos gestionan peor el estrés, El Pais [Newspaper interview with Pablo Gracia on the impact of COVID-19 on social inequalities in children's education], 2020
Hilliard, M., Screen time linked to rising mental health issues in children - study, The Irish Times [interview and coverage of study by Pablo Gracia and Melissa Bohnert], 2020
Gracia, P., Does Parental Separation Impact Children's Daily Activities? A Longitudinal Study., Sociology Seminars, University of Oxford , 2020
Thompson, S., How to manage your children's screen time, The Irish Times [coverage of study by Pablo Gracia and Melissa Bohnert], 2020
Cano, T. & Gracia, P., Does Parental Separation Affect Children's Time Use? Evidence from Longitudinal Time-Diary Data. SocArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/8j37s, 2020
D'Arcy, N., On Research, the Pandemic Has Widened a Troubling Gender Gap, University Times [Newspaper interview with Pablo Gracia on the impact of COVID-19 on gender inequalities in academia], 2020
Keane, J., Thinking of the children: Why Trinity College and IBM are researching how kids use tech [Interview with Pablo Gracia on the project DIGYMATEX and study of Irish children's digital use and well-being] , Fora [Interview with Pablo Gracia on the project DIGYMATEX and on study on Irish children's digital use and well-being] , 2020
Han WJ, Gracia, P. & Li, J. , Parental Work Schedules and Hours in 29 European Countries, 2005-2015: A Welfare State Comparison. SocArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/d8mqv, 2020
Gracia, P. & Bohnert, M. , When does digital use harm child mental health and socioemotional well-being?, Population Europe (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, München) , 2020
Tipp FM Radio Interview, 'Interview with Pablo Gracia on the impact of children's digital use on their socioemotional well-being ', 2020, -
Hilliard, M., Girls increase time alone studying after parental break-up, study finds, The Irish Times [coverage of Pablo Gracia's invited talk at ESRI], 2019
Gracia, P., Parental Separation, Life Course and Children's Time Use, International Lecture Series DPAS, Erasmus Rotterdam University, 2019
Frank, E., Work and play. Child and adolescent time use in Finland, Spain, and the UK., Population Europe (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, München) [coverage of study by Gracia et al.], 2019
Newstalk Radio Interview, 'Interview with Pablo Gracia on parental separation and children's daily activities', 2019, -
Gracia, P., Gender Inequalities in Domestic Labour, Working for the Home: Past and Present, Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, 2019
Gracia, P., Parental Divorce, Life-Course Dynamics and Children, Lecture Series, Economic and Social Research Institute, 2019
Gracia, P., Child Time Use and Work Schedules: The Spanish Case, MPRC Lecture Series, Maryland University, 2018
Gracia, P., Child Time Use and Nonstandard Parental Work, Silver DPRLs Lecture, New York University, 2018
Gracia, P., Work Schedules and Family Time in Spain, WIGi Conference (Gender Inequality: It's About Time), Harvard University, 2018
Gracia, P., Parental Work Schedules, Families and Children: Possibilities with the British MCS and Irish GUI, Cross-Country Comparative Project on the 24/7 Economy, WZB/ Berlin Social Science Centre , 2017
Villasante, M., El éxito (o el fracaso) académico de los hijos empieza por sus padres, El Mundo [Newspaper interview with Pablo Gracia on intergenerational inequalities], 2017
Gracia, P., Parental Work and Children's Time Use in Spain: The Role of Work Schedules, Gender, and Education, Fertility, Family and Sexuality Lecture Series, INED, Institut national d'études démographiques), 2017
Gracia, P., Adolescents' Time Use in Cross-National Perspective, Caregiving Responsibilities across the Life Course: An International perspective, Lund University, 2017
Sanchez, M., Los que no tienen hijos también quieren conciliar, El Pais [Newspaper interview with Pablo Gracia on the work schedules and family time in Spain], 2016
Gracia, P., Parents' Nonstandard Work Schedules and Children's Activities in Spain, New Economy and Family' Workshop, WZB/ Berlin Social Science Centre , 2016
Dominguez, I., El ascensor social se atasca, El Pais [Newspaper interview with Pablo Gracia on parenting, social mobility and educational inequalities], 2016
Gracia, P., Does the Spanish work schedule hurt family life?, Population Europe (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, München) , 2016
Gracia, P., Parents' Family Time and Work Hours in Spain, UNED Sociology Lecture Series, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, Madrid , 2015
Gracia, P., Educational Inequalities in Parental Care Time: Cross-National Evidence, Sociology Lecture Series, University Carlos III, Madrid, 2015
Gracia, P., Work Schedules in Spain: Implications for Families, CED Seminars, Center for Demographic Studies, UAB, Barcelona, 2015
Gracia, P., Educational Inequalities in Parenting: A Cross-National Study, CBS Lecture Series, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp, 2014
Gracia, P., Parents' Family Time Allocation and Paid Work Schedules: The Case of Spain, MZES Presentation, University of Mannheim, 2014
Gracia, P., Parent‐Child, Spousal, and Family Time in Spain: The Effects of Work Constraints, AMCIS Annual Conference, Amsterdam Centre for Inequality Studies, University of Amsterdam, 2014
Gracia, P., Parents' Family Time in Spain: The Role of Work Schedules, TOR Lecture Series, Free University of Brussels, 2013
Gracia, P., Educational inequalities in parents' time with children, UK-based blog., Inequalities: Research and reflection from both sides of the Atlantic , 2013
Gracia, P., Ghysels, J. & Vercammen, K. , Parental Care in Four European Countries: Comparing Types and Contexts. Demosoc Working Paper Series. Num. 41., 2011
Gracia, P., Parental Child Care in Spanish Families with Young Children, GRIPS Seminars, University of Oxford, 2010
Gracia, P., Parenting Involvement in Spanish Couples', CBS Invited Lecture, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp, 2009
Research Expertise
Projects
- Title
- Multiple Equilibria in Families
- Summary
- The main objective of this project, coordinated by Prof. Gosta Esping-Andersen, is to apply a multiple equilibrium framework to test key hypotheses regarding family behaviour and its broader effects on social inequality. We focus in particular on two dimensions: couple relationships and parental investment in children. Our point of departure is the evidence from recent demographic and sociological research that, on both dimensions, there are trends towards polarisation. Our research on couple relations will examine two key dimensions: gender specialisation in domestic tasks and labour supply, and the stability of partnerships. Our research on parenting will focus on child outcomes, in particular with regard to educational attainment and early career transitions. Of special interest here is the growing gender-gap and what might be called the 'boy-problem': the large proportion of boys with problematic social behaviour and inadequate schooling. Dr. Pablo Gracia, supervised by Prof. Esping-Andersen as a doctoral researcher at UPF, participated in this project by conducting empirical analyses on educational and gender inequalities in parenting and domestic work in the Spanish context. Results of this assistance contributed to this publication: Esping-Andersen, G., 2009. Incomplete revolution: Adapting welfare states to women's new roles. Cambridge: Polity Press (Chapter 1).
- Funding Agency
- Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
- Date From
- 2010
- Date To
- 2013
- Title
- Child Digital Use and Social Inequalities: The Role of Digital Socialisation in Intergenerational Inequalities in Ireland
- Summary
- Digitalisation has transformed our society, culture and economy (Castells, 2002) in a context of rising global inequalities (Piketty et al., 2018). Digitalisation has also transformed the domestic sphere, creating new forms of digital childhoods, with children's lives being increasingly affected by electronic devices (Mascheroni & Olaffson, 2016). While we know that child digital use brings risks (anxiety) and benefits (ICT skills) for their cognitive development, health status or socio-emotional well-being (Livingstone, 2018), how child digitalisation impacts the reproduction of social inequalities remains unclear. This project seeks to fill this key gap by studying how child digitalisation influences the reproduction of social inequalities in contemporary society. The main objective of the project is to provide new fresh evidence of how child digitalisation affects the transmission of social inequalities from parents to children in contemporary societies (Breen et al., 2018; Lareau, 2011). By employing a multi-methods approach, the project will investigate three research questions: (RQ1) How does digital socialisation affect social inequalities in child development?; (RQ 2): What is the role of digitalisation in the reproduction of social inequalities?; (RQ 3): Do digital parenting strategies contribute to (re)produce socioeconomic inequalities in contemporary societies?
- Funding Agency
- Trinity College Dublin
- Date From
- 2019
- Date To
- 2021
- Title
- Gender Inequalities in Mental Health across Parenthood Transitions: A Life-Course Approach
- Summary
- Gender inequalities in mental health are pervasive: across the world women consistently show higher levels of depression and anxiety than men. Research has found that parents, and especially mothers, are particularly at risk of suffering mental health problems like distress, anxiety, and depression. However, the exact mechanisms that explain differences in mental health between mothers and fathers remain poorly understood. This project will contribute to close this major knowledge gap in science. The project conducts the first exhaustive study of how parenthood affects the mental health trajectories of men and women over the life course. This project will make crucial scientific innovations by merging high-quality large-scale longitudinal survey data (collected annually between 1991 and 2021) with rich qualitative longitudinal data from 30 heterosexual couples (collected before and after childbirth) to show how exactly parenthood affects men"s and women"s mental health. The project will make a ground-breaking contribution to science by: (1) identifying the long-term factors that predict women"s and men"s mental health trajectories across parenthood transitions; (2) disentangling the precise micro-level mechanisms that shape gender differences in mental health around childbirth; (3) establishing the causal effect of childcare and work-family policy reforms on mothers" and fathers" positive mental health. The project focuses on the United Kingdom, an interesting case of study for which we have the best available data. Results will have important applications elsewhere, including Ireland. This project will make a strong impact in different domains. The project will provide unique new evidence on gender, well-being, health, and parenthood to contribute to current efforts in meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): `Gender Equality Goals" (SDG 5) and `Good Health and Well-Being Goals" (SDG 3). The project findings will be widely disseminated, not only within leading scientific networks, but also among policy makers, practitioners, and the large public.
- Funding Agency
- Irish Research Council
- Date From
- 2022
- Date To
- 2024
- Title
- Diverging Parenting? Socioeconomic Background, Gender, and Institutions
- Summary
- This project, based on the externally-funded doctoral research project of Dr. Pablo Gracia, analysed the degree of variation in parenting behaviour by education, gender, and social class across national contexts. Time-diary data from Denmark, Belgium, Spain and the UK were analysed to study parenting practices across different demographic groups. The main findings from this project can be summarised as follows: (1) Cross-national variations in parenting-work balance are observed amongst fathers, but less so amongst mothers, for which a stronger educational gradient is instead observed; (2) In Spain, women's employment is strongly associated with paternal involvement in routine/physical activities in families with preschool children; (3) A strong education gradient in fathering is correlated with children's developmental stages, in line with child-rearing practices recommended by "parenting experts"; (4) In the UK, social class and education are strongly correlated with the parenting styles that are more directly linked to children's accumulation of cultural, human, and social capital; (5) Men in post-industrial occupations appear to be particularly identified with the more egalitarian and highly involved fathering practices. The project content and results resulted into 4 subsequent publications in international peer-reviewed journals in sociology and cognate disciplines or fields.
- Funding Agency
- Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
- Date From
- 2008
- Date To
- 2012
- Title
- Parental Conditions, Family Relations, and Work: Implications for Families and Children.
- Summary
- This research project, based on a prize received by Dr. Pablo Gracia, fully funded by the EUI Max Weber Programme, aimed at providing new and more precise understandings of how time and resources are allocated from parents and children across different demographic groups in contemporary post-industrial societies. The project was related to three main empirical outputs: (1) Empirical evidence was published on how fathers and mothers allocated time to child care activities and how this can be related to gendered inequalities in parents' wellbeing, levels of enjoyment and stress; (2) Cross-national evidence on gendered and educational inequalities in parenting was provided using international time-diary data; (3) Evidence on ethnic penalties and differentials in students' aspirations and future employment outcomes were provided using survey data from the Dutch and Spanish contexts. Finally, the project resulted into different publications in international peer-reviewed journals.
- Funding Agency
- European University Institute
- Date From
- 2015
- Date To
- 2017
- Title
- Social Inequalities in Girls' and Boys' Daily Activities and Skills Accumulation in Ireland and Australia
- Summary
- This project, coordinated by Dr. Pablo Gracia, will investigate how boys and girls from different SES achieve key developmental competences from infancy (age 0) to adolescence (age 17), analysing the role of their daily activities in explaining inequalities in skills development. Previous studies reveal that children's family background is a critical indicator of future life chances. Privileged children disproportionately obtain the highest levels of education, occupational status and health outcomes across the life course (Morgan, 2006). This raises strong policy concerns from an equality of opportunity and human capital perspective (Putnam, 2015). Yet, the exact mechanisms by which boys and girls from different SES (socioeconomic status) achieve different cognitive and socio-emotional skills remain insufficiently understood. This project will contribute to these empirical debates by using the best available data from Australia and Ireland to study this empirical question in two countries that combine an interesting mixture of liberal welfare regimes with traditional work-family policies (OECD, 2016).
- Funding Agency
- Trinity College Dublin
- Date From
- 2018
- Date To
- 2020
- Title
- Researching and Promoting Positive Adult and Child Mental Health and Wellbeing in Lone-Parent Families
- Summary
- One-parent families account for a growing share of Irish families with children (over 1 in 4 in the 2016 census). Lone parents and their children are at increased risk for poor mental health and psychological wellbeing compared to their peers in two-parent families. This represents a fundamental health inequality. Positive mental health and wellbeing are not only essential for good overall health but are also central to a good quality of life. To date, there is limited research on the links between family structure and mental health in Ireland, though international research suggests that chronic stress may be a key factor. This project is a collaboration between Trinity College Dublin and One Family, Ireland's leading organisation for people parenting alone and their children. It examines the factors that shape wellbeing in one-parent families in Ireland, including the role of chronic stress, and investigates ways to buffer lone parents and their children against the harmful effects of chronic stress on mental health and wellbeing. The research has two parts: (1) an in-depth statistical analysis of the factors that shape mental health and wellbeing using longitudinal data from a study of 18,000 Irish children and their families; and (2) an intervention promoting self-esteem, self efficacy, and social support among 60 lone parents to determine if this can buffer against poor mental health outcomes for them and their children. This project will produce new knowledge about wellbeing in one-parent families in Ireland and will facilitate the development of effective policies and services to promote positive mental health and wellbeing among this at-risk population. This contributes to the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of Good Health (SDG 3) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10).
- Funding Agency
- European Commission & Irish Research Council
- Date From
- 2019
- Date To
- 2023
- Title
- DIGINEQ: Digital Time Use, Adolescent Well-Being and Social Inequalities
- Summary
- This ERC project develops an innovative time-use approach to understand how exactly adolescent digital use shapes social inequalities in well-being in contemporary societies. The project DIGINEQ aims at meeting three main objectives throughout its 5 years of life: (1) To understand how changes in digital engagement shape socioeconomic gaps in well-being outcomes from childhood to late adolescence; (2) To disentangle how exactly adolescents" digital use forms social inequalities in well-being in everyday life; (3) To establish if digital interventions can promote adolescent well-being and healthy digital use, while reducing social inequalities in these areas.
- Funding Agency
- European Commission
- Date From
- 2024
- Date To
- 2029
- Title
- Family Conditions and Child Outcomes
- Summary
- This project, coordinated by Dr. Pablo Gracia, was funded as part of the ECSR Project Workshop Grants, in order to bring together a range of junior and more senior scholars to establish networks of collaboration and discussion around the topic of child outcomes. The main project's task consisted of a workshop organised at the University of Amsterdam in which junior and senior scholars from leading European research institutions presented their studies on how families influence child outcomes. This scientific exchange provided some new insights to better understand how child outcomes (defined as skills, behaviours, and qualifications) are affected by family contexts, including socioeconomic, demographic, and ethnic origins. Main Partners of the Project's Network: University of Amsterdam (host), WZB, Goethe University Frankfurt, Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, University of Oxford.
- Funding Agency
- European Consortium for Sociological Research
- Date From
- 2013
- Date To
- 2014
- Title
- Social Inequalities in Child Time Use and Development in Ireland: A Mixed-Methods Longitudinal Approach
- Summary
- This project will adopt a novel multi-method longitudinal design with data from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study to investigate how children's time-use patterns contribute to the reproduction of social inequalities in contemporary digitalised societies. The project will answer: (1) how time-use patterns evolve from early childhood to early adulthood in different socioeconomic groups; (2) how children's time use impact child development processes across socioeconomic groups; (3) how can parental resources and parenting values influence child time use in ways that shape social inequalities in child development; (4) what meaning do parents and children attribute to their daily activities in different social classes. By providing unique evidence on how children's specific activities affect social inequalities in life-course development in contemporary digitalised societies, this project will contribute to ongoing debates on public policies, child well-being and social inequalities in Ireland and internationally. The findings will be actively disseminated through (inter)national media sources and stakeholders that are accessible to professionals, civil organisations, policy makers and the public.
- Funding Agency
- Irish Research Council
- Date From
- 2020
- Date To
- 2023
- Title
- DIGYMATEX: Establishing A Comprehensive Understanding and Taxonomy of Children's Digital Maturity
- Summary
- The overall goal of DIGYMATEX is to provide evidence-based tools that will assist in understanding and measuring children's digital maturity. These tools are intended to be used e.g. by families, schools, and policy stakeholders. The first tool is the development of an innovative and market-ready instrument - the Digital Youth Maturity Index (DYMI) - as a cloud-based open-access tool in order to establish and implement a comprehensive understanding and taxonomy of children's digital maturity leading to the prediction and explanation of benefits and risks regarding children's ICT-related behaviour. The Digital Youth Maturity Index will act as a measurement tool for classification and segmentation of user groups as well as a behavioural prediction tool based on machinelearning techniques. The second tool is the development and application of the DiGYou-program - a technology-related solution and recommendation program, which is based on as well as supports the application of the DYMI. The two innovative tools will directly target the main impact goals associated with the call. With the Digital Youth Maturity Index (DMYI), the project will be able to develop and implement a comprehensive taxonomy, which will inform relevant stakeholders and practitioners on the long-term effects of ICT on child behaviour. Furthermore, with the DMYI in combination with the DigYou3-program, we will develop concrete solutions in order to contribute to a safer and more beneficial use of digital technologies by children and we will be able to formulate recommendations in support of national and European policies in the field. DYGIMATEX - builds on an inter-disciplinary, multimethod approach by integrating expertise, methods and knowledge from different research areas like business management, psychology, sociology, neuroscience, media and information systems, as well as industry partners (i.e., from IOT, food, telecommunication) and policy stakeholders (i.e., education, EU policy).
- Funding Agency
- European Commission
- Date From
- 2020
- Date To
- 2025
- Title
- Social Inequalities, Time Use and Child Development in Ireland: A Longitudinal Approach
- Summary
- Children's family background is a determinant predictor of individuals' key life-course outcomes, such as schooling attainment, labour market trajectories, health status and income dynamics. Recent multi-disciplinary developments in the social sciences suggest a set of reasons why children from privileged social backgrounds are advantaged throughout the life course. This project seeks to contribute to the international literature on social inequalities and child development by studying children's daily activities and experiences from a longitudinal perspective. The project will adopt a life-course approach, using rich cohort longitudinal data, focusing on Ireland and related countries, to analyse intergenerational inequalities from infancy to late adolescence.
- Funding Agency
- Trinity College Dublin
- Date From
- 2019
- Date To
- 2023
- Title
- CHILDTIMES - Inequalities in Children's Activities and Development: A Multi-Method, Longitudinal and Cross-Country Approach
- Summary
- Contemporary society presents a strong persistence of social inequalities across generations. The reproduction of such inequalities is not only problematic to equalising children's opportunities. This reality also imposes serious barriers to the possibility of every child being able to fully contribute to our society and economy by adding his/her intrinsic human capital potential. The project establishes links between two main disciplines that often operate independently, namely the psychological literature on child development and the life-course social stratification literature. The funding from Enterprise Ireland will be used to exchange knowledge and innovative research ideas with international researchers, as well as developing a research pilot (together with a research assistant) to better understand the reproduction of social inequalities by studying children's daily activities in our digitalised societies, combining observational and experimental approaches.
- Funding Agency
- Enterprise Ireland
- Date From
- 2018
- Date To
- 2019
- Title
- Family Polarization: Stratified Family Dynamics: polarizing trends in couple behaviour and parenting
- Summary
- The project applies a multiple equilibrium framework to understand ongoing transformations in family demography and their consequences for social inequalities. Associated with the changing economic role of women emerge novel family forms that replace the conventional male breadwinner model. The transition is very much in flux, producing multiple equilibria some of which are unstable and associated with inefficient and inequitable couple specialization. Based on long micro panel data for four countries at different stages of the transition, the study will address three parallel issues. One, identifying equilibrium shifts from the traditional towards more gender symmetric family forms, with particular focus on the endogenously driven dynamics that drive populations towards a gender egalitarian equilibrium. Two, analyzing the potentially polarizing demographic correlates of changing family behaviour in particular in terms of marital choice and couple stability. Three, testing hypotheses regarding family polarisation with respect to parental investments in children and how these, in turn, influence children's life chances. Dr. Pablo Gracia, supervised by Prof. Esping-Andersen as a doctoral researcher at UPF, participated in this project by engaging in a cross-national research on Denmark, Spain and the UK that revealed different gender relations and equilibria in the division of paid and unpaid work. Results from this work are visible in this publication: Esping-Andersen, G., Boertien, D., Bonke, J. and Gracia, P., 2013. Couple specialization in multiple equilibria. European Sociological Review, 29(6), pp.1280-1294.
- Funding Agency
- EU Commission
- Date From
- 2010
- Date To
- 2013
- Title
- Consequences of Nonstandard Work Schedules for Parent and Child Wellbeing: A Cross-Country Comparison
- Summary
- This project, coordinated by Dr Jianghong Li and Dr Matthias Pollmann-Schult, will examine the impact of the impact of NSWS on the psychological wellbeing of children and parents using European cross-country data and large-scale longitudinal data from Germany, Australia, UK, and the US. A central aim of this project is to understand the moderating and mediating factors in the association between NSWS and child and parental wellbeing, and whether these relationships vary across countries with different family policies and working time regimes. The project will advance our knowledge by: 1. Examining the consequences of NSWS for parents" mental health and psychological wellbeing. 2. Identifying the potential effects of NSWS on child wellbeing and factors that moderate and mediate these effects. 3. Analysing differences in the associations between NSWS and child wellbeing across Germany, Australia, the UK, and the US.
- Funding Agency
- German Science Foundation
- Date From
- 2022
- Date To
- 2025
- Title
- Work-Family Policy and Gender Inequalities in Paid and Unpaid Work in Spain
- Summary
- This project, coordinated by Dr. Pablo Gracia and Dr. Daniela Bellani, has two main objectives: (1) to analyse gender inequalities in unpaid household work in Spain, both in housework and time spent with children; (2) the projects aims at recommending efficient policies for reconciling work and family to reduce the existing gender inequalities at work and, indirectly, social class inequalities in the Spanish system. After exploring time use data form different countries (2002/2003 Spanish Time Use Survey; Harmonised European Time Use Survey: 2000-2005), the project shows that gender inequalities in the division of household work are significantly more pronounced in Spain than in most Western European countries. This is captured by the fact that the relative contribution of men to the total household work is lower in Spain than in other Western European countries. In addition, the project suggests that, in Spain, women's increasing economic and employment autonomy compared to their husbands or male partners, is likely to foster gender equality in the division of domestic chores and parental care responsibilities. The project further proposes several family and gender policies, such as active female employment policies, policies of work-family reconciliation and, ultimately, argues that increasing public spending and intervention in families is positive both from an equitable and efficient perspective. Dr. Gracia was the PI and the main applicant of this project, which was converted into a scientific report published by 'Fundacion Alternativas'.
- Funding Agency
- Fundacion Alternativas
- Date From
- 2009
- Date To
- 2010
- Title
- Economic Change, Quality of Life and Social Cohesion Network of Excellence (EQUALSOC).
- Summary
- The EQUALSOC project, coordinated by Prof. Robert Erikson (University of Stockholm), was a "Network of Excellence" (NoE) that mobilise and develop research expertise across Europe on economic change, quality of life and social cohesion. Initially, a total of 14 leading institutes or universities participated working on issues of social inequalities and social cohesion. There were institutes from Sweden (SOFI), the Netherlands (AIAS), France (CNRS), Italy (DSRS, Bicocca, University of Turin), Ireland (ESRI), Germany (MZES, WZB), Great Britain (Nuffield), Spain (UPF), Estonia (UT) and Belgium (CSB). The project is funded by the European Union. The project aimed at strengthening the exchange of knowledge between scientists in Europe and promoting the development of joint projects in the fields of social cohesion and inequalities. Work was based on network conferences, workshops for the subject-oriented working groups and cross-cutting workshops with participants from different working groups have been or will be arranged. Dr. Gracia's involvement in this network was devoted to the working package FAMNET (network on family research) and in particular the working group on the gendered household division of housework and child care
- Funding Agency
- EU Commission
- Date From
- 2008
- Date To
- 2013
Recognition
Representations
Associate Editor, European Societies (journal)
Expert Evaluator, La Caixa Obra Social Foundation [ LL2020_1 Call; Social Impact of Covid-19)
Expert Evaluator, La Caixa Obra Social Foundation [ INPhINIT Call for PhD Project Applications)
Editorial Team, Social Inclusion (Journal)
Editorial Team, Journal of Time Use Research (Journal)
Expert Evaluator, Science State Agency Research Projects (Spanish Ministry of Science)
Panel Evaluator, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (European Commission) [Expert Evaluator & Rapporteur]
Conference Organising Board, Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century (European University Institute, Florence)
Expert Evaluator, FWO Research Foundation Flanders Scheme (Flemish Science Foundation)
Advisor on Family Policies, IVALUA Institute (Catalan Government)
Expert Evaluator, ERC Starting Grant Scheme (European Commission)
External PhD Dissertation Committee (3 PhD theses)
Conference Organiser, Family Conditions and Child Outcomes (University of Amsterdam)
Expert Evaluator, SONATA Funding Scheme (Polish National Science Centre)
AMCIS Working Paper Series Editor, University of Amsterdam
Peer-reviewed referee: more than 50 peer-reviewed journals, including leading journals on sociology, demography and family research (i.e., Child Development, Demography, European Sociological Review, Journal of Marriage and Family, Sociology of Education, Social Forces).
Chair and Discussant, International Conferences in Sociology and Demography (Selection: European Consortium for Sociological Research Conference, International Association for Time Use Research Conference)
Awards and Honours
Erasmus + Visiting Lecturer, University of Mannheim (MZES)
Irish Research Council, Government of Ireland Postgraduate Grant (Senior PI)
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, IRC Cofund (CAROLINE) (Senior PI)
Arts and Social Sciences Benefactions Fund. Trinity College Dublin
Visiting Scholar. Pompeu Fabra University
Visiting Scholar. New York University
Enterprise Ireland Project Grant. Enterprise Ireland/IRC.
Provost Research Award Competition (for PhD Project Supervision). Trinity College Dublin
Visiting Scholar. University College London, Institute of Education
Visiting Scholar. Institut National d'Études Démographiques
Max Weber Fellowship Prize. European University Institute
Visiting Scholar. Autonomous University of Barcelona, Centre for Demographic Studies
Visiting Scholar. University of Antwerp, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy
ECSR Project Award. European Consortium for Sociological Research
Aage Sorensen Research Award. Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility (ISA)
Visiting PhD Researcher. University of Oxford
Fundacion Alternativas Youth Prize. Alternativas Foundation.
FPU PhD Scholarship. Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
Memberships
American Sociological Association
Dutch/Flemish Association of Sociology
EAPS Network on Child and Adolescent Development
EqualSoc Network of Excellence
EU Kids Online, Team Member (Ireland team)
European Association of Population
European Societies (Journal Associate Editor)
European Consortium for Sociological Research
Global Research Network on Children in the 24/7 Economy (GRNCE)
Journal of Time Use Research (Journal Editorial Board)
International Association for Time Use Research
Max Weber Fellows Programme, European University Institute
Population Association of America
RC28 on Social Stratification and Mobility (ISA)
Social Inclusion (Journal Editorial Board)
Spanish Sociological Association
Trinity Research in Childhood Centre (TRiCC)