Prof. Dr. Matthias Pollmann-Schult
Office address
Office hours
During the lecture period:
Wednesdays 16-17h
Office address
Short vita
Professional positions
Since 2021: Professor of Sociology - Empirical Social Research at the University of Siegen
2017 -2021: Professor of Empirical Social Research at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
2012 -2017: Heisenberg Fellow at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) and at Bielefeld University
2010-2012: Substitute professor at the University of Osnabrück and the University of Frankfurt am Main
2004-2010: Research Assistant, University of Bielefeld
2003-2004: Postdoctoral Associate at Yale University
2000-2003: PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin
Education
2010: Habilitation at the University of Bielefeld
2003 Doctorate in Sociology at the Free University of Berlin
1994-2000 Studied sociology at the Free University of Berlin
Teaching
Teaching profile
The "Empirical Social Research" department focuses its teaching on methods of data collection and analysis. It regularly offers courses on the fundamentals of empirical social research and statistics as well as application-oriented practical seminars. In the courses on empirical social research, students should acquire a basic understanding of empirical research methods and be enabled to independently acquire new methods and analytical procedures.
Research
"NONWELL: Consequences of nonstandard work schedules for parent and child well-being. A multi-country study" (with Jianghong Li).
DFG, 2023-2026.
In collaboration with Pablo Gracia (Trinity College Dublin), Wen-Jui Han (New York University), Lyndall Strazdins (Australian National University)
Summary
The emergence of the so-called "24/7 economy" has led to an increasing number of people working non-standard schedules (e.g., evenings, nights, or weekends). These trends have dramatically altered family processes and interactions. Nonstandard work schedules (NSWS) can reduce the amount of time parents have available for their children and compromise parents' mental health, thus limiting parenting capacities and weakening parent-child relationships. These negative impacts of NSWS on parents can ultimately affect children's well-being.there is limited evidence to date on how nonstandard work schedules impact family well-being in different contexts. The proposed project, NONWELL, will examine the consequences of nonstandard work schedules for the psychological well-being of children and parents using large-scale longitudinal data from Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Our first aim in this project is to examine the consequences of NSWS for parents-in particular, for their mental health and well-being. Second, we will examine whether and how the consequences of NSWS for parents in turn affect their children's well-being. To do so, we will analyze transmission pathways (mediating factors) and identify child, family, and job characteristics that mitigate or exacerbate the impact of NSWS on child well-being (moderating factors). Third, we will examine whether the impact of NSWS on parent and child well-being varies across countries with different family policies and working time regimes.
"Subjective well-being of parents and nonparents in middle and old age: Well-being premiums and penalties of parenthood in Germany and Europe". DFG, 2021-2026
Summary
This project examines the association between parental status and subjective well-being in middle and late life. Because adult children often provide care and support for aging parents, family researchers often argue that parents experience higher subjective well-being than nonparents. Others researchers, however, point out that strained parent-child relationships can decrease older parents' subjective well-being. Previous research on this association has produced inconsistent findings and is lim-ited in various ways. This project aims to generate new insights into well-being differ-ences between parents and childless individuals in Germany and Europe by examin-ing national (SOEP, DEAS) and international (SHARE, ESS) representative datasets.
The project in organized into three parts. In the first part takes into account the multi-dimensional nature of subjective well-being. Here, we will scrutinize the ways in which parenthood is associated with both positive and negative facets of subjective well-being, and whether positive and negative effects offset each other with regard to the overall impact of parenthood on subjective well-being.
The second part of the project will focus on heterogeneity in the association between parental status and subjective well-being. Here, we will examine whether this associ-ation is mediated and moderated by characteristics of the parent-child relationship and major events in the lives of adult children and older parents.
The third part of the project will analyze the extent to which the gap in subjective well-being between parents and nonparents varies by contextual factors. Here, we will address the question of whether differing levels of institutional support for parents and social norms towards parenthood moderate the association between parental status and subjective well-being.
"Parenthood and well-being: Individual, familial and contextual determinants of parental life satisfaction". DFG 2016-2021
"The 24/7 economy and the health and wellbeing of families and children in Germany" (with Jianghong Li). DFG, 2015-2017
"Partnership, parenthood and employment: Effects of family transitions on the employment behavior of men in a country comparison". DFG, 2012-2016
Publications
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Jianghong Li (2020): Parental work and family/child well-being. Special Issue of the Journal of Family Research
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2006): Inferior employment in the course of employment. A longitudinal analysis for non-academics in West Germany. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
Doan, Tinh, Lyndall Strazdins, Liana Leach, Jianghong Li, Matthias Pollmann-Schult and Till Kaiser (in press): Ceilings: Gender inequality in hours, earnings and health. Social Indicators Research
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (in press): Why parenthood strains relationships: Investigating the mechansisms behind declining relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and Family.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (in press): Parental separation and children’s peer relations: Investigating friendship integration and peer rejection in middle childhood and early adolescence. Demography
Lim, Misun, Matthias Pollmann-Schult and Jianghong Li (in press): Parents' work-family conflict and children's emotional well-being: The mediating role of parental behaviors. Journal of Family Issues.
Resendez, Sarahi, Jianghong Li, Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2026): Nonstandard work schedules and work-life balance in dual-earner households: The role of parenthood. Journal of Family Research, 38, 1-22
Tolkamp, Maximilian and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2025): Widowhood and loneliness: do close relationships with adult children alleviate loneliness among widowed parents? Aging and Mental Health, 29 (12), 2227-2237
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2025): Parenthood and life satisfaction in older age: Examining the moderating role of social norms and economic vulnerability. European Journal of Ageing, 22(1), 16
Tolkamp, Maximilian and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2024): Subjective well-being of parents and childless People in or age in Germany. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 19(3), 3335-3356
Heß, Stephanie and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2025): Parental depressiveness and children's emotional problems. Families, Relationships and Societies, 14 (4), 523-542.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2023): Downward educational mobility and the life satisfaction of adolescents and parents. Family Relations, 72(1),234-252
Huß, Björn and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2022): Don't blame the kids: Mothers' satisfaction with different life domains after union dissolution. Journal of Family Studies,28(4), 1272-1286.
Li, Jianghong, Heike Ohlbrecht, Matthias Pollmann-Schult and Filip Habib (2020): Parents' non-standard work schedules and children's social and emotional well-being: A mixed-methods analysis. Journal of Family Research, 32(2), 330-356.
Hess, Stephanie and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2020): Associations between mothers' work-family conflict and children's psychological well-being: The mediating role of mothers' parenting behavior. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29 (6), 1561-1571.
Huß, Björn and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2020): Relationship satisfaction across the transition to parenthood: The impact of conflict behavior. Journal of Family Issues, 41(3), 383-411.
Kaiser, Till, Jianghong Li and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2019): The reproduction of educational inequalities - do parenting and child behavior problems matter? Acta Sociologica, 62(4), 420-439.
Li, Jianghong, Till Kaiser, Matthias Pollmann-Schult and Lyndall Strazdins (2019): Long work hours of mothers and fathers are linked to increased risk for overweight and obesity among preschool children: Longitudinal evidence from Germany. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 79, 723-729.
Kaiser, Till, Jianghong Li and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2019): Evening and night work schedules and children's social and emotional well-being. Community, Work & Family, 22 (2), 167-182
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2018): Single motherhood and life satisfaction in comparative perspective: Do institutional and cultural contexts explain the life satisfaction penalty for single mothers? Journal of Family Issues, 39 (7), 2061-2084.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2018): Parenthood and life satisfaction in Europe: The role of family policies and working time flexibility. European Journal of Population, 34 (3), 387-411.
Kaiser, Till, Jianghong Li, Matthias Pollmann-Schult and Anne Song (2017): Poverty and child well-being: The mediating role of parenting and parental well-being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(9): 981
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Jeremy Reynolds (2017): The work and wishes of fathers: Actual and preferred work hours among German fathers. European Sociological Review, 33 (6), 823-838
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2017): Sons, daughters, and parents' division of paid work and housework. Journal of Family Issues. 38 (1), 100-123.
Li, Jianghong and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2016): Fathers' commute to work and children's social and emotional well-being in Germany. Journal of Family and Economic Issues. 37(3), 488-501.
Bünning, Mareike and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2016): Parenthood, child care, and non-standard work schedules in Europe. European Societies, 18 (4), 295-314.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2016): What mothers want: The impact of children on women's preferred working hours in Western Europe. Advances in Life Course Research, 29, 16-25.
Fasang, Anette, Johannes Huinink and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2016): Aktuelle Entwicklungen in der deutschen Familiensoziologie: Theorien, Daten, Methoden Journal for Family Research, 28(2) 112-143.
Bünning, Mareike and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2016): Family policies and fathers' working hours - Cross national differences in fathers' labor supply. Work, Employment & Society, 30(2) 256-274.
Trappe, Heike, Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Christian Schmitt (2015): The rise and decline of the male breadwinner model: Institutional underpinnings and future expectations. European Sociological Review, 31 (2, special issue), 230-242.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2014): Parenthood and life satisfaction: Why don't children make people happy? Journal of Marriage and Family, 76 (2), 319-336.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2013): Parenthood and life satisfaction in Germany. Comparative Population Studies - Journal of Population Science, 38 (1), 59-84.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2011): Soziale Integration und Lebenszufriedenheit von Eltern und kinderlosen Paaren im mittleren und späten Erwachsenenalter. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 44 (6), 411-416..
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2011): Marriage and earnings: Why do married men earn more than single men? European Sociological Review, 27 (2), 147-163.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2010): Wenn Männer Väter werden - Über die Auswirkungen der Vaterschaft auf Freizeit, Lebenszufriedenheit und familiäre Beziehungen. Journal of Family Research, 22 (3), 350-369.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Karl Ulrich Mayer (2010): Vertikale und horizontale Fehlqualifikation von Lehrabsolventen im Kohortenvergleich. Sozialer Fortschritt, 59 (6-7), 182-190.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2009): Arbeitszeitwunsch und -wirklichkeit im Familienkontext. Eine Analyse der Diskrepanzen zwischen präferierter und tatsächlicher Arbeitszeit. Soziale Welt, 60 (2), 163-178.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2009): Geschlechterunterschiede in den Arbeitswerten. Eine Analyse für die alten Bundesländer 1980-2000. Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung, 42 (2), 140-154.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2008): Familiengründung und gewünschter Erwerbsumfang von Männern - Eine Längsschnittanalyse für die alten Bundesländer. Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 37 (6), 498-515.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Martin Diewald (2007): Auswirkungen der Familiengründung auf den Berufsverlauf von Männern. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 59 (3), 440-458.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2006): Ausmaß und Struktur von arbeitnehmerinduzierter Abstiegsmobilität. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 58 (4), 573-591.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2005): Crowding-out of unskilled workers in the business cycle: Evidence from West Germany. European Sociological Review, 21 (5), 467-480.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Felix Büchel (2005): Unemployment benefits, unemployment duration and subsequent job quality: Evidence from West Germany. Acta Sociologica, 48 (1), 21-39.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2005): Führen verschärfte Zumutbarkeitsregeln der Arbeitsvermittlung zu schnellerer Wiederbeschäftigung? - Empirische Analysen zur Wirkung der Neuregelung der Zumutbarkeitsbestimmungen im Jahr 1997. Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, 51 (2), 315-336.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Felix Büchel (2004): Career prospects of overeducated workers in West Germany. European Sociological Review, 20 (4), 321-331.
Büchel, Felix und Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2004): Overeducation and human capital endowments. International Journal of Manpower, 25 (2), 150-166.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Felix Büchel (2002): Generierung eines Proxys zum Job-Anforderungsniveau aus den Informationen zu ausgeübtem Beruf und beruflicher Stellung. Ein neues Tool für die deutsche Fehlqualifikationsforschung. ZUMA-Nachrichten, 25 (51), 78-93.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Felix Büchel (2002): Ausbildungsinadäquate Erwerbstätigkeit: eine berufliche Sackgasse? Eine Analyse für jüngere Nicht-Akademiker in Westdeutschland. Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, 35 (3), 371-384.
Büchel, Felix and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2002): Overcoming a period of overeducated work - does the quality of apprenticeship matter? Konjunkturpolitik, 48 (3/4), 304-316.
Pollmann-Schult Matthias (2015): Family, gainful employment, income. In: Paul B. Hill/Johannes Kopp (eds.): Handbuch Familiensoziologie. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 613-640.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2012): The employment behavior of fathers in East and West Germany. In: Johannes Huinink, Michaela Kreyenfeld and Heike Trappe (eds.): Familie und Partnerschaf in Ost- und Westdeutschland. Similar and yet still different (special issue of the Zeitschrift für Familienforschung). Opladen: Verlag Barbara Budrich, pp. 79-93.
Pollmann, Karl and Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2010): Becoming a teacher, yes! But preferably without children of your own? Today's perspectives of fathers and mothers in the preparatory service. In: K.-F. Hillesheim and B. Weber (eds.): Perspectives on teacher training. On the mission of the centers for practical teacher training. Münster: LIT Verlag, pp. 59-63.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2009): Being a father "pays off" - Influences of starting a family on men's income. In Karin Jurczyk and Andreas Lange (eds.): Vaterwerden und Vatersein heute. New Paths-New Opportunities! Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Foundation, 173-191.
Diewald, Martin and Matthias Pollmann-Schult (2009): Employment Trajectories in East Germany: Inclusion and Exclusion since 1989. In Rudolf Stichweh and Paul Windolf (eds.): Inclusion and Exclusion. Analyses of social structure and social inequality. Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag, 139-156.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias (2006): Changes in income distribution as a result of higher qualifications. In Andreas Hadjar and Rolf Becker (eds.): Die Bildungsexpansion. Expected and unexpected consequences. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag, 157-176.
Pollmann-Schult, Matthias and Felix Büchel (2004): Pathways out of unemployment into training-adequate employment. Can subordinate employment act as a bridge? In Steffen Hillmert and Karl Ulrich Mayer (eds.): Born in 1964 and 1971. Recent studies on training and career opportunities in West Germany. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag, 155-171.