The ICS-series presents dissertations of the Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology. Each of these studies aims at integrating explicit theory formation with state-of-the-art empirical research or at the development of advanced methods for empirical research. The ICS was founded in 1986 as a cooperative effort of the universities of Groningen and Utrecht. Since 1992, the ICS expanded to the University of Nijmegen. Most of the projects are financed by the participating universities or by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). The international composition of the ICS graduate students is mirrored in the increasing international orientation of the projects and thus of the ICS-series itself. www.ics-graduateschool.nl Javier Arregui Negotiation in legislative decision-making in the European Union Marcel van Egmond Rain falls on all of us But some manage to get more wet than others Justine Horgan High performance human resource management in Ireland and the Netherlands Adoption and effectiveness Jacques P.G. Janssen Do opposites attract divorce? Dimensions of mixed marriage and the risk of divorce in the Netherlands Christiaan Monden Education, inequality and health The impact of partners and the life course Ineke Nagel Cultuurdeelname in de levensloop Anne-Rigt Poortman Socioeconomic causes and consequences of divorce Christian Steglich The framing of decision situations Automatic goal selection and rational goal pursuit Helga de Valk Pathways into Adulthood A comparative study on family life transitions among migrant and Dutch youth René Veenstra Leerlingen, klassen, scholen Prestaties en vorderingen van leerlingen in het voortgezet onderwijs Marc Verboord Moet de meester dalen of de leerling klimmen? De invloed van literatuuronderwijs en ouders op het lezen van boeken tussen 1975 en 2000 Johan van Wilsem Crime and context The impact of individual, neighborhood, city and country characteristics on victimization Philip Wotschack Household Governance and Time Allocation Four studies on the combination of work and care