Sociological literature has extensively documented how educational attainment and achievement is influenced by economic and cultural capital (Jackson, 2013). Coming from more educated families with a high cultural capital constitutes a significant advantage in terms of academic outcomes (Breen et al., 2009) . Among the factors influencing these outcomes, social homogamy – understood as the pairing of partners from similar educational  and socioeconomic backgrounds (Blossfeld et al., 2024) – emerges as a crucial phenomenon. The relevance of homogamy can be analyzed through three key dynamics: early and primary socialization, family socialization to school life and familiar construction of gender asymmetry.

Firstly, the family is the primary context for socialization, facilitating the intergenerational transmission of cultural and social capital. Secondly, homogamy impacts early socialization, which refers to the acquisition of orientations and values necessary to attain certain statuses (Merton, 1922). Finally, gender asymmetry between partners, particularly in terms of education, affects the cognitive frameworks and social roles internalized by children. Analyzing the distribution of educational qualifications between mothers and fathers can clarify the weight of these dynamics on children’s educational and life trajectories.
Family capital, defined as the set of material and cultural resources transmitted to new generations (Bourdieu, 2006), interacts with social homogamy in shaping the boundaries of educational outcomes and careers. Families with high family capital and strong homogamy provide a more stimulating environment and greater resources for navigating children the educational path. From the literature, we know that this issue is often addressed at the methodological level through the use of synthetic indices of socioeconomic and cultural status (Avvisati, 2020). However, we aim to open the "black box" of educational reproduction in order to better understand how the link between parental education and children outcomes works, in a more analytic way using not synthetic indices (e.g. ESCS) but rather typological intersections between parental education levels.

Recents studies confirm the importance of educational homogamy. Blossfeld et al. (2024) show that children of parents with the same level of education achieve higher academic results, while Ortiz-Gervasi (2021) explores the role of the gender gap in hypogamous contexts. Concurrently, Breen and Goldthorpe (1997) provide a theoretical basis for explaining how family capital influences educational choices through social rationality and anticipation mechanisms. 

From a methodological point of view, on the other hand, we observe how analysis through the use of previously mentioned synthetic indexes is largely present in the work of several authors dealing with educational inequalities. Hanushek and Woessmann (2011), while not specifically addressing the topic, offer a useful comparative and methodological perspective on international educational differences. Their approach to analysing the impact of systemic (ordinamental and organizational variables of the educational system) and individual variables on educational outcomes is also a key focus of our work. Similarly, Agasisti et al. (2021) highlight the effectiveness of quantitative indices in measuring the impact of aggregate socio-economic capital on academic performance and educational expectations.

In this work we will analyze the impact of educational homogamy and heterogamy on the mathematic academic performance (main topic of the wave) for the Italian sample of OECD-PISA 2022 database. On it we will do multivariate quantitative analysis in an analytical approach. Our aim is to test the following theoretical hypothesis: (i) children of parents with a higher similar education level tend to achieve higher educational outcomes than peers; (ii) daughters of hypogamous couples have higher educational performance compared to sons in the main condition. A more methodological than theoretic aim is to understand the usefulness of homogamy indices in explaining educational trajectories and the cumulative impact of parental education, with particular attention to gender dynamics.

In the first step we will construct a regression model in which we will insert the dummy variables of the mother's and father's level of education separately, thus parallel, controlled by the ascriptive variables as gender and migration background. These categories will be calculated by recoding the variables related to parents' education level using international classifications (ISCED). This model will allow us to see whether the mother's or father's education levels act more heavily on the mathematics scores. After this model we will then add the track variable which will act as mediator in producing the scores. The Italian track system is composed of a general track, which generally provides an academic background and is mostly oriented towards a university career, a technical track, and a vocational track, both of which are mainly oriented towards a career in the workforce (Giancola, Salmieri, 2022a). However, all these paths still allow the possibility of pursuing a university education. At the same time, this track system is at the same time a significant factor in the reproduction of inequality (Giancola, Salmieri 2022b). In the second step, we will no longer use the low level of the mother and father as a reference category but the combination of these as a typological reference class of low educational homogamy. Also in the replication of the model we will then add the track variable as mediator. At this point we will build a detailed typology of educational homogamy (in five non ordered categories), to be used in the next step of analysis. Then we will obtain also the categories of heterogamy that distinguish between hypergamic and hypogamic couples (Ortiz-Gervasi, 2021). So, in the third and last step we will investigate the effects of the categories of homogamy on the results in mathematics. Here, too, we will add, in addition to the ascriptive variables, the track variable as mediator. Special attention will be given to the interaction between homogamy indices and students' gender. The analysis will explore how daughters from hypogamous couples, where the mother has a higher education level than the father, differ in academic performance compared to sons in similar contexts. Finally, binary logistic regression models will be conducted to assess how family characteristics influence the likelihood of achieving specific academic future expectation. The cumulative effect of parents' qualifications (education level) will also be considered when these characteristics align or diverge.

This paper proposes an analytical perspective that considers alignments and misalignments in the educational levels of students' parents and their differential effects on the production and reproduction of inequalities. By constructing typological indices that quantify family characteristics in terms of education, the study aims to highlight how these factors, in interaction with students' gender, influence competence in mathematics. This work pursues two key conclusions. The first pertains to the methodological approach, demonstrating the potential of using typological indices of homogamy within an analytical framework and proposing this method as complementary to other synthetic indicators. The second, theoretical in nature, focuses on the interplay between micro-mechanisms of couple selection and selection processes within educational systems (Bourdieu, 2006). High educational and professional homogamy between parents is hypothesized to foster better academic outcomes for their children. Finally, an open question emerges from the data analysis regarding the gender differential that hypogamy may produce, favoring daughters in terms of academic achievement. These findings will validate a method that investigates less examined mechanisms compared to traditional indicators of educational inequality. This approach provides a complementary perspective to standardized analyses and not only contributes to a deeper understanding of the intergenerational transmission of family capital but also offers valuable insights for designing educational policies aimed at reducing inequalities. In this sense, the paper seeks to enhance the understanding of a phenomenon that, while central to social stratification processes, remains underexplored at an analytical level. A deeper investigation of homogamy could yield fresh insights, enriching the academic debate with a perspective that complements, rather than replaces, established approaches in the sociology of education.

Agasisti, T., Munda, M., & Vona, F. (2021). What school factors are associated with the success of socio-economically disadvantaged students? An empirical investigation using PISA data. Social Indicators Research, 157(3), 749–781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-021-02668-w Avvisati, F. (2020). The measure of socio-economic status in PISA: A review and some suggested improvements. Large-scale Assessments in Education, 8(8). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40536-020-00086-x Blossfeld, P., Scherer, S., & Uunk, W. (2024). Editorial on the special issue "Changes in educational homogamy and its consequences." Comparative Population Studies, 49, 437–466. https://doi.org/10.12765/CPoS-2024-17 Blossfeld, P. N., Katrňák, T., & Chomková Manea, B. (2024). Parental educational homogamy and children’s tertiary education in Europe. Comparative Population Studies, 49, 243–272. https://doi.org/10.12765/CPoS-2024-10 Bourdieu, P. (2006). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). Westport, CT: Greenwood. Breen, R., & Goldthorpe, J. H. (1997). Explaining educational differentials: Towards a formal rational action theory. Rationality and Society, 9(3), 275–305. Breen, R., Luijkx, R., Müller, W., & Pollak, R. (2009). Nonpersistent inequality in educational attainment: Evidence from eight European countries. American Journal of Sociology, 114(5), 1475–1521. https://doi.org/10.1086/595951 Giancola, O., & Salmieri, L. (2022a). Cross-national achievement surveys and educational monitoring in Italy. In L. Volante, S. Schnepf, & D. A. Klinger (Eds.), Cross-national achievement surveys for monitoring educational outcomes: Policies, practices and political reforms within the European Union (pp. 69–90). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Giancola, O., & Salmieri, L. (2022b). Chain effects in diachronic perspective: Social inequalities and school-tracks-choices affecting educational outcomes in Italy. Scuola democratica, 13(2), 385–409. Hanushek, E. A., & Woessmann, L. (2011). The economics of international differences in educational achievement. In E. A. Hanushek, S. Machin, & L. Woessmann (Eds.), Handbook of the economics of education (Vol. 3, pp. 89–200). Amsterdam: Elsevier. Jackson, M. (Ed.). (2013). Determined to succeed? Performance versus choice in educational attainment. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780804784481 Merton, R. K. (1922). Social theory and social structure. New York, NY: The Free Press. Ortiz-Gervasi, L. (2021). Parental education, gender, and school outcomes: A study of educational trajectories in Europe. European Journal of Sociology, 62(3), 411–440. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2021.1969028