Sibship in Low Fertility Settings: A Microsimulation Approach

This thesis examines the variation in lifespan sibling availability in low fertility populations. Demographic transition has had profound effects on family structure, shrinking kin networks while extending the duration of kin ties. Siblings are unique among these ties in their duration, degree of shared contexts, and salience for various outcomes (such as support of aging parents). While low fertility yields smaller sibships ceteris paribus, sibship distributions can vary among low fertility populations. Indeed, the variety of unique sibships – sib sets with only sibling dyads of a particular type – increases as fertility decreases. The composition of sib sets is dynamic, too: lifespan sibling availability varies, depending upon mothers’ fertility patterns. This study uses kinship microsimulation to model the lifespan composition of individuals’ sib sets, focusing on three critical life course stages: during childhood, at orphanhood, and near death. The microsimulations illustrate how sib set composition is linked to its roots in women’s fertility by varying: (i) women’s age at first union, (ii) women’s average number of children, and (iii) variance among women in number of children. The thesis demonstrates that low fertility allows for diversity and lifespan variation in sibship size (average and distribution). This finding has applicability to current and future low-fertility populations, especially in light of indications that low fertility in some non-Western societies may have a different structure than observed in the West and East Asia.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Odden, Colin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Casterline, John

• Demography
• Sociology
• siblings
• sibship
• life course
• family demography

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1357237238

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1357237238