New differences, old explanations

A B S T R AC T The aim of this article is to improve current understanding of the educational differences between minority groups in Norway who differ by country of origin. How much of these educational differences can be explained by the traditional explanation of social background? Further, is the effect of social background dependent on ethnic background? These questions are examined through analyses of register data containing information on all persons in Norway born between 1965 and 1981. Second-generation minority groups with Pakistani, Turkish and Indian background are compared with the majority. The conclusion is that social background explains some of the differences in educational outcomes, in particular the relatively low educational attainment of the groups of Turkish and Pakistani background. However, social background provides a less relevant explanation of the relatively high attainment of the group with Indian background and, compared to the majority, social background appears to be less important for educational choices among minority youth.