Family Growth and Variation in Family Role Structure

Abstract

This study deals with the relationship between number and spacing of children and family role structure as measured by decision making and household task performance. Data on childbearing patterns and family role structure were gathered on 1,242 women in the Detroit Area who had, at the time of interview, just married or given birth to their first, second, or fourth child. An analysis of these data indicate that family size, spacing between marriage and first birth, and spacing between first and last birth are all related in a weak, but persistent way to both decision making and task performance.