Katya Ivanova

Katya Ivanova is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Tilburg University's Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her research focuses on quantitative family sociology, examining how individuals navigate family transitions (e.g., partnership formation, separation, parenthood) and their impacts on well-being and intergenerational relationships. She specializes in gendered dynamics within complex families, with particular emphasis on stepmothers.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology, University of Groningen (2012)
• Master's in Psychology, Utrecht University (2007)
• Bachelor's in Psychology, Mount Holyoke College (2005)

Research Focus: Her work explores the intersection of family complexity, gender norms, and societal structures. Current projects investigate how societal pessimism influences childbearing decisions and the psychological ramifications of parenthood transitions. She employs advanced statistical methods to analyze family dynamics across diverse populations.

Publication Trends: Recent articles (2023-2024) concentrate on parenthood transitions, fairness in household labor division, and stepfamily relationship dynamics. Her research consistently demonstrates methodological rigor through longitudinal designs and cross-national comparisons (e.g., German and Dutch datasets).

Active Projects:

• 'The End of Babies?' (2024-2026): Mixed-methods study of societal pessimism and voluntary childlessness.
• 'Going Against the Norm' (2022-2026): Links between personality and non-traditional family trajectories.
• Transition to parenthood as a developmental milestone (Ongoing).