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Changes in sibling configurations for American preschool children
1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Social Biology
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Changes in family size and sibling composition affected children born between 1940 and 1980. Post-war fertility shifts led to more firstborns and fewer opposite-sex older siblings for children over time.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Demography
- Family Studies
Background:
- Fertility behavior significantly shapes family structures.
- Understanding sibling configurations offers insights into child development and social patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze changes in sibling configurations from the child's perspective.
- To examine trends in sibling number, birth order, spacing, and sex composition for children born between 1940 and 1980.
Main Methods:
- Utilized U.S. Census Public Use Microdata Samples (1940-1980).
- Focused on five cohorts of white and black preschool-aged children.
- Analyzed sibling number, birth order distributions, spacing intervals, and sex composition.
Main Results:
- Sibling numbers initially rose post-war, then declined sharply through the 1960s and 1970s.
- Proportions of firstborns and only children increased substantially by 1980.
- A notable decrease occurred in children experiencing an opposite-sex older sibling.
Conclusions:
- Post-war fertility changes profoundly impacted children's sibling systems.
- Sibling composition evolved, with shifts in family size and sex composition over four decades.
Keywords:
Age FactorsAmericasBirth OrderBirth SpacingBlacksChildCohort AnalysisCultural BackgroundData AnalysisDemographic FactorsDeveloped CountriesEconomic FactorsEthnic GroupsFamily And HouseholdFamily CharacteristicsFamily PlanningFamily RelationshipsFamily SizeNorth AmericaNorthern AmericaPopulationPopulation CharacteristicsResearch MethodologySex FactorsSiblingsSocioeconomic FactorsUnited StatesWhitesYouthMore Related Videos
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