Family Socioeconomic Background Research Articles

“These Aren’t Very Good Times”: Financial Uncertainty Experienced by Romantic Partners in the Wake of an Economic Downturn

In the wake of the economic downturn, economic uncertainty is roughly double that of the past 23 years. Research indicates married couples are uncertain about finances and financial uncertainty can adversely affect individual and relational outcomes, yet little is known about the nature of financial uncertainty and how it is manifested. Thus, this investigation relied on face-to-face interviews to uncover the financial uncertainty experienced by 40 individuals in married or cohabiting relationships. The study found financial uncertainty was largely universal regardless of participant age, marital or socioeconomic status, sex, or family background. Five types of financial uncertainty emerged from the interviews: (1) economic uncertainty; (2) management uncertainty; (3) personal uncertainty; (4) communication uncertainty; and (5) chronic uncertainty, underscoring the importance of financial communication.

School Equity: The Students’ Perspectives in Diverse School Contexts

Educational reforms in Portugal reflect the influence of the Lisbon Strategy regarding a more competitive knowledge based economy and social cohesion. European directions also agree that educational systems respond to the work market tendencies in addition to the social challenges emerging in the globalized world. Accordingly, recent policies address educational inequalities concerning studentś truancy and failure, high number of students with low levels of literacy, the enlargement of compulsory secondary education, and an emphasis on adults education based on the principle of lifelong learning. Being part of a larger project, this paper focuses on perspectives of educational justice and purports to (a) identify factors that sustain or hinder educational equity; (b) understand the students’ perspectives regarding school practices of justice; and (c) how they are construed in diverse school contexts. What meanings do students attribute to school experiences? What practices are perceived either as just or unjust? The analysis combined qualitative and quantitative data from two urban schools with differential socio-economic and cultural family backgrounds. Results emphasize the following studentś perspectives of justice: (a) the equalitarian, regarding the distribution of the educational resources and forms of treatment; and (b) the redistributive, underlining matters of equity. The discussion underlines two points for interpretation: the association of critical school contexts to recent official policies; and the students’ differential concerns regarding teachers and schools practices.

Influences of Social and Educational Environments on Creativity During Adolescence: Does SES Matter?

It is well established that there is an academic achievement gap between students from high and low socioeconomic family backgrounds. However, how being brought up and living in different socioeconomic backgrounds impacts adolescent development, particularly their creative capabilities and creativity-related personality traits, is not well understood. This study compared creative capabilities and traits of 8th grade students of 2 school districts: a suburban, upper-middle class community and an urban community with a large proportion of families under poverty, located in a northeastern state. The results provide compelling evidence for a creativity gap. The study also found a possible mediating role of academic achievement and intrinsic cognitive motivation, suggesting that the psychosocial processes and mechanisms leading to the creativity gap are tractable. Implications of the findings for optimal adolescent development and social interventions are discussed.

Predisposed to participate? The influence of family socio-economic background on children's sports participation and daily amount of physical activity

From a Bourdieu-inspired understanding of how personal resources (‘capitals’) enable certain practices in certain contexts, the links between families' cultural, social and economic capitals, and children's daily physical activity were investigated in 500 suburban Danish schoolchildren using questionnaire data and accelerometer measures. Family socio-economic position (SEP) was found to be positively associated with children's participation in organized sport, which could be explained by differences in family capitals. By contrast, this study found no relationship between families' SEP and the amounts of general physical activity in children. This reflected the tendencies for club-organized sport to contribute a relatively small amount to the overall amount of physical activity in children, and for children of low SEP to be equally active in other settings such as school-breaks, day care and neighbourhood playgrounds.

The quadratic relationship between socioeconomic status and learning performance in China by multilevel analysis: Implications for policies to foster education equity

The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between family socioeconomic status and mathematics performance on the base of a multi-level analysis involving a large sample of Chinese primary school students. A weak relationship is found between socioeconomic status and performance in the Chinese context. The relationship does not follow a linear, but a quadratic curve, implying that students from a disadvantaged family and higher socioeconomic background have a higher probability to attain higher mathematics scores. This can be explained on the basis of Chinese cultural beliefs about education, exams and social class mobility. Moreover, the aggregated socioeconomic status at the school level seems to moderate in the relation between individual SES and academic performance. This suggests that individuals from a disadvantaged family will achieve higher in the school with a higher family socioeconomic status than students who are enrolled in schools with a lower and average family socioeconomic status.

Save Now, Save Later?

Using evidence from an 18-year British follow-up study this paper examines whether saving during adolescence is linked to saving in adulthood. A contextual development model of saving behavior is tested, examining the interplay between socioeconomic family background, parenting style, economic socialization, adult socioeconomic attainments, and saving behavior in adolescence and adulthood. The findings suggest that saving at age 16 is linked to saving at age 34, and that socialization experiences during adolescence, as well as own social status and income, shape the savers that we become.

Why so late?!—delay in treatment of colorectal cancer is socially determined

The interval between symptom onset and therapy in patients with colorectal cancer was studied. One hundred twenty three patients with colorectal cancer were included. Demography data, symptoms, consultations, and tumour stage were obtained by standardized questionnaires. Risk factors for delayed treatment were analysed. Eighty six patients suffered from colonic cancer. The total time between the first symptoms and therapy ranged from 13 to 442 days (mean, 148). Delay of surgical therapy was responsible for significantly higher tumour grades. Delayed start of therapy was found to be correlated to the type of cancer, socioeconomic status, marital status, and quality of first consultation (univariate analysis). On multivariate analyses, type of cancer, marital and socioeconomic status remained significantly associated with delayed treatment (all p values ≤ 0.001, r(2) = 0.50). The delay in treatment of colorectal cancer depends on socioeconomic status and family background. Achieving equity in colorectal cancer detection may require consideration of high-risk subgroups.

Childhood cognitive ability and adult academic attainment: evidence from three British cohort studies

This paper examines the association between general cognitive ability directly measured in mid childhood and adult academic attainment in three British birth cohorts born in 1946, 1958, and 1970, controlling for family socio-economic background and gender. The study uses structural equation modeling to link latent variables indicating family socio-economic background, childhood general cognitive ability, and academic attainment assessed through school leaving age and highest qualifications achieved by age 26. In addition logistic regression modeling is used to establish the odds of obtaining degree level qualifications in times of social change. The results show that the association between family social background and academic attainment has remained more or less the same over time, gender inequalities have reduced, while the association between general cognitive ability and academic attainment has decreased for the 1970 cohort. Although more young people achieve degree level qualifications in the later born cohort, the findings suggest persisting social inequality in the realisation of cognitive potential and educational opportunities. The findings are discussed in terms of their policy implications.

Poor But Not Powerless: Women Workers in Production Chain Factories in China

The present study demonstrates the processes by which 12 young women working in four production chain factories in China shape their own lives — their developmental trajectories — during the period following their entry into factory work. One-on-one, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in August, 2005, as part of an evaluation project that assessed the labor practices and interpersonal relationships in production chain factories. These interviews revealed considerable personal agency among the women, and prompted us to examine how this agency manifests itself, and what individual and contextual factors influence it. Operating from a developmental systems perspective, and using a “grounded approach” to identify active, personal agency as the organizing construct for this investigation, we adopted the selective optimization with compensation (SOC) model to guide data analysis and presentation, after initial data coding indicated its suitability. Findings suggest that activity within these three components (selection, optimization, and compensation) is oriented toward fulfilling both the women’s family goals and their career goals. These workers sought to improve the well-being of their families and themselves through selecting to work in these particular production chain factories, optimizing their factory experiences, and compensating for the attendant losses — personal and career-related. Individual characteristics, such as marital status, migrant status, and educational background, in combination with contextual factors, such as family socio-economic background and factory labor practices, influenced these women worker’s decisions, and thus, their developmental course.

Childhood Language Skills and Adult Literacy: A 29-Year Follow-up Study

Our aim was to assess the longitudinal trajectory of childhood receptive language skills and early influences on the course of language development. Drawing on data collected for a nationally representative British birth cohort, the 1970 British Cohort Study, we examined the relationship between directly assessed early receptive language ability, family background, housing conditions, early literacy environment, and adult literacy skills. A sample of 11349 cohort members who completed the English Picture Vocabulary Test at 5 years of age were studied again at 34 years of age, when they completed a direct assessment of their basic literacy skills. We contrasted experiences of individuals with language problems at age 5 against the experiences of those with normal language skills at that age, assessing the role of socioeconomic family background and early literacy environment in influencing the longitudinal course of developmental language problems. Statistical comparisons of rates with chi(2) tests at P values of .001, .01, and .05 were made, as well as multivariate logistic regressions. Cohort members with receptive language problems at age 5 had a relatively disadvantaged home life in childhood, both in terms of socioeconomic resources and the education level of their parents, but also regarding their exposure to a stimulating early literacy environment. Although there is significant risk for poor adult literacy among children with early language problems, the majority of these children develop competent functional literacy levels by the age of 34. Factors that reduce the risk for persistent language problems include the child being born into a working family, parental education beyond minimum school-leaving age, advantageous housing conditions, and preschool attendance. Effective literacy-promoting interventions provided by pediatric primary care providers should target both children and parents.

FC02-03 - Suicide attempt and family-environmental factors in adolescence: advocacy for family centered interventions

IntroductionSuicidal behavior in adolescence is now well documented with regard to biological and psychological traits, family-environmental factors, and clinical management. In despite of this knowledge, few interventions are based on family therapy.ObjectivesTo examine the association between suicide attempt in the adolescent population in Quebec and family constellation with regard to family structure and family functioning adjusted for socio-economic factors.MethodsData: Social and Health Survey of Children and Adolescents in Quebec State performed in 1999 (Institut de la Statistique du Québec, Canada). Subjects: 1186 adolescents aged 13 years and 1160 adolescents aged 16, and their parents. Outcome: suicide attempt during lifetime. Independant variables: family structure, witnessing interparental violence and parental emotional support. Covariates: family socioeconomic background and demographic variables.Statistics: logistic regression analysis.Results81 adolescents reported one suicide attempt or more during lifetime, with a significant risk for girls but this risk was independant of age and ethnicity. The adolescents had a 2.5-fold higher risk of suicide attempt when they live in monoparental household (OR=2.46; 95% CI=[1.37-4.42]), a 3.8-fold higher risk when they witnessed interparental violence (OR=3.76; 95% CI=[2.10-6.74], and a 2 to 6-fold higher risk when parental support is low, particularly paternal support. These associations are not modified by familial socioeconomic status.ConclusionsThese results are concordant with family stress perspective in the un derstanding of suicidal beahvior in adolescents, and this independently of familial socio-economic deprivation. They give arguments for family centered therapy in the panel of interventions in health promotion in adolescence.

Cannabis and crime: findings from a longitudinal study

To examine the association between cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood, and subsequent criminal charges. Data were obtained from the Young in Norway Longitudinal Study. A population-based sample (n = 1353) was followed from 13 to 27 years of age. Data were gathered on cannabis use, alcohol consumption and alcohol problems, and use of other illegal substances such as amphetamines, cocaine and opiates. In addition, extensive information on socio-demographic, family and personal factors was collected. This data set was linked to individual-level information from official Norwegian crime statistics. We found robust associations between cannabis use and later registered criminal charges, both in adolescence and in young adulthood. These associations were adjusted for a range of confounding factors, such as family socio-economic background, parental support and monitoring, educational achievement and career, previous criminal charges, conduct problems and history of cohabitation and marriage. In separate models, we controlled for alcohol measures and for use of other illegal substances. After adjustment, we still found strong associations between cannabis use and later criminal charges. However, when eliminating all types of drug-specific charges from our models, we no longer observed any significant association with cannabis use. The study suggests that cannabis use in adolescence and early adulthood may be associated with subsequent involvement in criminal activity. However, the bulk of this involvement seems to be related to various types of drug-specific crime. Thus, the association seems to rest on the fact that use, possession and distribution of drugs such as cannabis is illegal. The study strengthens concerns about the laws relating to the use, possession and distribution of cannabis.

Social status, cognitive ability, and educational attainment as predictors of liberal social attitudes and political trust

We examined the prospective associations between family socio-economic background, childhood intelligence ( g) at age 11, educational and occupational attainment, and social attitudes at age 33 in a large ( N = 8804), representative sample of the British population born in 1958. Structural equation Modeling identified a latent trait of ‘liberal social attitudes’ underlying attitude factors that are antiracist, socially liberal, and in support of gender equality. Another attitude factor—‘political trust’—was relatively independent from the latent attitude trait and has somewhat different pathways in relation to the other variables included in the analysis. There was a direct association between higher g at age 11 and more liberal social attitudes and political trust at age 33. For both men and women the association between g and liberal social attitudes was partly mediated via educational qualifications, and to a much lesser extent via adult occupational attainment. For women the association between g and political trust was partly mediated through both educational qualification and occupational attainment, and for men it was mediated mainly via occupational attainment. Men and women who had higher educational qualifications and higher occupational status tend to be more socially liberal and more trusting of the democratic political system. In terms of socio-economic background, people from less privileged families showed less political trust, but did not differ much in liberal social attitudes from those born into relatively more privileged circumstances. This study shows that social background, cognitive ability, education, and own social status influence perceptions of society.

Family contexts, norms and young people's orientations: researching diversity

The paper presents an analysis of young people's orientations, and expectations for the future, as they relate to family context and socio-economic background. It draws on data from both the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England and from ‘Young Lives and Times’, part of the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods. The latter study has generated both quantitative and qualitative data, and these are brought together directly in developing the arguments in the paper. The paper explores young people's perceptions of family life, and offers new evidence and analysis of the value they place on emotional support. Attitudinal data show that such support is seen as very important to future success alongside more individualistic, meritocratic, criteria. The paper then explores family contexts and youngsters’ orientations to schoolwork, and their expectations for their future education. In respect of the latter, socio-economic background becomes key as a predictor of difference. Through strategically linking qualitative and quantitative data, the paper develops an analysis of individuals’ orientations and expectations as these relate to proximate circumstances. Linking quantitative and qualitative evidence in this way helps provide insights into diverse subjectivities, and how they articulate with diverse, class-varying, normal expectations.

Mother's age at arrival in the United States and early cognitive development

Abstract This paper focuses on the cognitive development of young children from diverse backgrounds with a particular focus on ethnic and nativity differences in home environments. Hypotheses are developed addressing the extent to which home environment and parenting practices mediate the relationship between mother's age at arrival and cognitive development in early childhood. Data from the first two waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth cohort are employed. Children whose mothers arrived in the United States at the youngest ages (0–7 years) have similar cognitive scores to children whose mothers are born in the United States once socioeconomic status and family background are considered. Multivariate analyses indicate parenting practices and home environment are associated with cognitive development and act as partial mediators between cognitive scores and mother's age at arrival. Overall, the results highlight the need to consider parental migration experiences and differences in the home environments of children of immigrants in the United States as sources of variation in outcomes for the second-generation.

How African American Is the Net Black Advantage? Differences in College Attendance Among Immigrant Blacks, Native Blacks, and Whites

Previous research has shown that although a smaller proportion of black high school graduates than white high school graduates attend college, black high school graduates are more likely than white high school graduates to attend college net of differences in socioeconomic family background and academic performance. Yet, the overrepresentation of black immigrants in selective colleges and theoretical work on immigrant incorporation raises the question of whether this net black advantage is very African American. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, logistic regression, and propensity score analysis, the authors investigated whether the net black advantage reflects the educational trajectories of immigrant rather than native blacks. They found dual, yet distinct, cases of the net black advantage, such that native blacks are more likely than are comparable whites to attend all types of colleges, whereas immigrant blacks are only more likely than similar whites to attend selective colleges. The theoretical and social stratification implications of the findings are explored.

The black–white test score gap and early home environment

Based on panel data for three age cohorts of children from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we examine how early home environment contributes to black–white achievement gaps at different developmental stages and the extent to which early gaps contribute to later racial achievement gaps. We find large black–white test score differences among children of all ages even before children start formal schooling. Except for the oldest cohort, the gaps for all tests widened when children’s cognitive skills were assessed six years later. Racial achievement gaps in applied problem scores by grade three and letter–word scores by grade six, can be accounted for by child’s characteristics, family socioeconomic background, and mother’s cognitive skills. However, these covariates explain an increasingly smaller proportion of the black–white achievement gap as children advance to higher grades. Gaps in early cognitive skills are highly predictive of gaps at later ages, setting off a trajectory of cumulative disadvantage for black children over time. Our results underscore the key role of early home environment and the intergenerational roots of the persistent black–white achievement gap.

How Changes in Families and Schools Are Related to Trends in Black-White Test Scores

Through several decades of research, a great deal has been written about trends in black-white test scores and the factors that may explain the gaps in different subject areas. Only a few studies have examined the changing relationships between gaps in students' test scores and family and school measures in nationally representative data over several periods. This article builds on this previous work and addresses some of its limitations by analyzing nationally representative data in 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2004 that provide consistent measures of high school seniors' mathematics achievement and several school and family measures. Together, these databases for four cohorts of high school seniors provide the opportunity to analyze associations between the gaps in black-white test scores and changes in family background and school characteristics (in terms of both changes in means and coefficients). The analyses reveal positive changes for black students relative to white students between 1972 and 2004, such as improvement in some socioeconomic family background characteristics. Yet, some school conditions (racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition) did not improve for black students, and despite some beneficial changes, inequalities persist.

Dissecting the Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status on Mental Health in Young Adulthood

Studies have provided contradictory findings about the influence of race and ethnicity on mental health. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979 to 1992), this study examines the extent to which multiple dimensions of past and present socioeconomic status explain the influence of race and ethnicity on depression in young adulthood. Results indicate that Blacks and Hispanics have significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms than Whites, which supports social stress theory. These racial and ethnic differences are partially explained by family background and wealth, and substantially explained by the duration of poverty across 13 years of the transition to adulthood. Moreover, the robust depressive effect of past poverty duration is independent of present socioeconomic status and family background. Overall, this study was inspired by the life-course perspective and highlights the importance of wealth and histories of poverty for understanding racial and ethnic mental health disparities among young adults in the United States.

'You'd Better Wait!'--Socio-economic Background and Timing of First Marriage versus First Cohabitation

Whereas there is a well-developed literature on socio-economic inequalities in timing of first marriage, most research on the association between socio-economic family background and union timing misses out on unmarried cohabitation. Using a rich Norwegian dataset linking survey data and administrative registers (N=6,317), this article examines the impact of parents' education and economic resources on timing of first union among men and women entering their first cohabitation or marriage between 1970 and 2002. Discrete-time multinomial logistic regression models reveal that timing of first cohabitation was more rapid among persons with lower educated parents, while direct entrance into marriage was delayed by growing up in a wealthier childhood home. These findings are discussed within a theoretical framework stressing intergenerational transfer of preferences and parents' abilities to sanction children's first union formation. Additionally, the delaying effects of socio-economic background could stem from individuals' rational search behaviour.