THE MODERNIZATION OF THE AGRARIAN SECTOR - OCCUPATIONAL CONTINUITY AND TRANSITION IN FAMILY ENTERPRISES

For many occupations, the forms of capital a family must transmit for intergenerational continuity in work are complex and varied; thus, fan ning, self-employment, and many professions require special economic, social, psychological, and cultural capital. Drawing on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, the authors examine the historical and fa mily circumstances that have promoted the transmission of farming betw een generations. Patterns in the kin system do indeed predict the succ essful transmission of farming. However, when farming is not transmitt ed to the next generation, it is the off-spring's education that predi cts the magnitude of occupational mobility experienced. Historical pat terns are also documented and discussed.