Abstract
Non-parental family members are understudied but important brokers of family social capital, especially in contexts without a nuclear-family norm. We used rich time diary data from a sample of 1568 South Indian adolescents to examine the relationships between any time spent with parents, parents’ residency status, and the time spent with non-parental family members. We found that adolescents with at least one non-resident parent spent significantly more time with siblings, on average, when compared to adolescents with resident parents. We further found that adolescents spent more time with siblings in educational activities, such as studying, when they had at least one non-resident parent. These findings point to the importance of considering non-parental family members in studies of family social capital, especially in low- and middle-income contexts. Our findings challenge resource dilution theories by demonstrating that siblings themselves act as resources, rather than simply competitors for parental resources.
Highlights
Social capital—a measure of individuals’ social connections and the actual or potential resources that are made available through them—is positively associated with children’s social, emotional, and educational outcomes (Coleman 1988; Dufur et al 2008; Parcel et al 2010; Portes 1998)
In addition to the amount of time these individuals spend with children, we explored the types of activities that siblings engage in to shed new light on the ways in which compensatory family social capital could be produced
Adolescents who spent any amount of time with their mothers spent significantly more time with their siblings, on average, than adolescents who spent no time with their mothers (297 daily minutes versus 216 daily minutes), and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01)
Summary
Social capital—a measure of individuals’ social connections and the actual or potential resources that are made available through them—is positively associated with children’s social, emotional, and educational outcomes (Coleman 1988; Dufur et al 2008; Parcel et al 2010; Portes 1998). Social capital could be important in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as well, where opportunities for upward social mobility are varied In these contexts, non-parental family members are more likely to be important brokers of social capital, given that they are often more accessible and their interactions. Research on family social capital has been extremely limited in LMICs in general and with respect to the role of non-parental family members in particular To address these gaps in the literature, we studied compensatory family social capital from non-parental family members in South India, where strong extended-family ties are common and these family members often live in close proximity (Chadda and Deb 2013; Mullati 1995). In addition to the amount of time these individuals spend with children, we explored the types of activities that siblings engage in to shed new light on the ways in which compensatory family social capital could be produced
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