Analyzing Demographic Life Courses through Sequence Analysis

Considering demographic life courses as sequences, non recurrent and recurrent sequences are distinguished from each other. The description of life courses in terms of sequences leads to distinguish atomistic from holistic and static from dynamic approaches. Optimal matching and a monothetic divisive algorithm for the clustering of sequences of life courses are shown to be useful tools. The methods are applied to the sequence analysis of the transition to adulthood from the Italian Fertility and Family Survey.