Sibling Gender Research Articles

Testing the conditional resource-dilution hypothesis: the impact of sibship size and composition on infant and child mortality in the Netherlands, 1863–1910

ABSTRACTChild survival depends on the allocation of resources within the household. The size and composition of the sibling set influences parental division of resources and can in turn affect survival chances. In spite of recent advances in research on sibling effects, previous studies have often used the resource dilution hypothesis, which neglects the specific historical context which shapes household structure and organisation. This study therefore focuses specifically on the variation in historical context by examining sibling effects on infant and child mortality in three regions of the Netherlands in the period 1863–1910. It does so by connecting the gendered and the conditional resource-dilution model with each other as a conceptual framework. Changing household composition is taken into account by using longitudinal data from the Historical Sample of the Netherlands, time-varying variables and Cox proportional-hazard models to study sibling size and composition. The results show that the number and gender of siblings play an important role in determining child mortality, but are less significant in determining infant mortality. The number of same-sex siblings has a negative impact on boys’ survival chances in the Netherlands, which suggests that after the age of one, boys experienced more competition from their brothers. The reason for this could be their assigned roles within the household and on the family farm. A negative influence of the number of sisters is only found for child mortality chances for girls in the nuclear northwest family region. Here, fewer children were needed to work inside or outside the household, and girls and boys may even have been interchangeable. The results underscore the importance of looking at the interaction between the specific historical context and gender when trying to understand how sibship size and composition influenced children’s mortality risks and shaped inequality within the household.

Sibling Achievement, Sibling Gender, and Beliefs about Parental Investment: Evidence from a National Survey Experiment

Sibling Achievement, Sibling Gender, and Beliefs about Parental Investment: Evidence from a National Survey Experiment

Longitudinal Associations Between Sibling Relational Aggression and Adolescent Adjustment.

Sibling relational aggression is an important but understudied dimension of sibling relationships that has potential implications for adolescents' adjustment. This study examined the longitudinal associations between being the target of sibling relational aggression and adolescent adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms, risky behavior, self-worth, and romantic competence) among younger and older siblings over a three-year period in adolescence. The moderating roles of birth order, sibling gender, and sibling dyad gender constellation also were tested. Participants were 196 European American adolescent (firstborn-secondborn) sibling pairs who were 16.47 years (SD = 0.80) and 13.88 years (SD = 1.15) of age, respectively, at the onset of this study. Data were collected separately from each sibling during home interviews. Multilevel models revealed that being the target of sibling relational aggression was associated with all four adjustment outcomes at the between-person level, and with risky behavior and romantic competence at the within-person level. However, some of these effects were moderated by sibling dyad characteristics. Although often overlooked in the literature on adolescence, sibling relationship dynamics play a key role in youth development and adjustment.

61-72 AYLIK KORUNMAYA MUHTAÇ OLAN ÇOCUKLARIN VE AİLESİYLE BİRLİKTE YAŞAYAN ÇOCUKLARIN AHLAKİ DEĞER YAPILARI ÜZERİNE KARŞILAŞTIRMALI BİR ÇALIŞMA

The study was conducted to investigate the moral values of children aged 61-72 months , according to whether they are in need of protection or not, their gender and number of siblings. The research is in relational screening model. The universe of the research consists of 61-72-month children who are in need of protection and live in children's homes in Ankara province and 61-72 months old preschool children who live with their parents and attend kindergartens, official independent kindergartens and private kindergartens of the primary schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in the province of Ankara, Keçiören in 2015-2016 academic year. The sample of the study consists of 356 children selected by simple random sampling from the universe and 48 children (the entire universe) living in children's homes. In this study, “General Information Forms” and “Scale for Determining Moral Values” were used. T-test was used to compare the scores children got from the “Scale for Determining Moral Values”, Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare them according to their genders and Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare them according to their number of siblings As a result of the research, it was found that the scores children got from the “Scale for Determining Moral Values” showed significant differences in favor of the children living with their parents (p<0,05). According to the gender variable, while there was no significant difference between the moral values scores of children living in the children's house (p>0.05), there was a significant difference in favor of female children living with their parents (p<0,05). According to the number of siblings, there was no statistically significant difference between moral values scores of both groups (p>0.05).

Origins of Gender Norms: Sibling Gender Composition and Women's Choice of Occupation and Partner

Origins of Gender Norms: Sibling Gender Composition and Women's Choice of Occupation and Partner

Origins of Gender Norms: Sibling Gender Composition and Women's Choice of Occupation and Partner

I examine how one central aspect of the childhood family environment—sibling gender composition—affects women's gender conformity, measured through their choice of occupation and partner. Using Danish administrative data, I causally estimate the effect of having a second-born brother relative to a sister for first-born women. The results show that women with a brother acquire more traditional gender norms with negative consequences for their labor earnings. I provide evidence of increased gender-specialized parenting in families with mixed-sex children, suggesting a stronger transmission of traditional gender norms. Finally, I find indications of persistent effects to the next generation of girls.

Risk of maltreatment for siblings: Factors associated with similar and different childhood experiences in a dyadic sample of adult siblings

Siblings share the same environment and thus potentially a substantial number of risk factors for child maltreatment. Furthermore, the number of siblings and the sibling constellation itself might pose a risk for child maltreatment. Little is known about the likelihood that more than one child in a family is maltreated and which factors increase the risk. This study sought to investigate similarities and differences in maltreatment in siblings and risk factors associated with the maltreatment of more than one child from the same family. Data on maltreatment during childhood and adolescence, family background, and sibling constellation were collected from 870 pairs of siblings. In the dyadic analyses, siblings reported similar maltreatment experiences, especially when any type of maltreatment was considered. Parents’ mental health problems were significant predictors for maltreatment of at least one sibling. Father’s mental health problems were predictive of maltreatment of both or only the younger sibling, mother’s mental health problems of both or only the older sibling. Closeness in age and same gender of siblings did not emerge as a consistent predictor. The increasing number of siblings was a risk factor for any type of maltreatment of both siblings. The results highlight the need for preventive measures for families with a large number of children and with parents with mental health problems as well as a repeated risk assessment of all siblings in a family when one sibling was maltreated.

Sibling gender and wage differences

ABSTRACTFamily influences on economic performance are investigated. In particular, sibship sex composition is related to hourly wages using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979. The wages of men are increasing in the proportion of siblings who are brothers, but the wages of women are insensitive to sibling gender. Nonwage outcomes are generally unaffected. Contrasts by age structure and demographic group are also presented. The analysis addresses econometric challenges like the endogeneity of fertility and selection into the workforce. In addition, mechanisms such as labour market interactions, human capital investment and role model effects are documented. A questionnaire on job search indicates a same-gender bias in the use of brothers and sisters in obtaining employment. Developmental and psychological assessments suggest that brothers may be associated with worse childhood home environments and more traditional family attitudes among women. The findings are policy relevant and contribute to an understanding of gender differences and earnings inequality.

Why Are Indian Children So Short? The Role of Birth Order and Son Preference

Child stunting in India exceeds that in poorer regions like sub-Saharan Africa. Data on over 168,000 children show that, relative to Africa, India's height disadvantage increases sharply with birth order. We posit that India’s steep birth order gradient is due to favoritism toward eldest sons, which affects parents' fertility decisions and resource allocation across children. We show that, within India, the gradient is steeper for high-son-preference regions and religions. The gradient also varies with sibling gender as predicted. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that India's steeper birth order gradient can explain over one-half of the India-Africa gap in average child height.

Children Love Their Pets: Do Relationships between Children and Pets Co-vary with Taxonomic Order, Gender, and Age?

ABSTRACTGenerally, children love their pets. However, a deeper insight into the beneficial effects of pets on the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing and development of children is needed. This study investigated whether children have more intense relationships with animals which are behaviorally similar to humans (according to the scala naturae), and whether the relationship patterns between 11- to 14-year-old children (n = 72) and their pets differ from those in prepubescent children, between 6 and 10 years of age (n = 84). We also investigated whether pet-relationship quality is associated with children’s age, gender, and number of siblings. Data about individual bonding type and attachment quality between the children and their pet were collected using a questionnaire. The results indicate that the younger children’s relationships clearly co-varied with taxonomic order of the pet. In contrast, 11- to 14-year-old children reported similarly high scores of attachment with their mouse or iguana as with their dog or cat, and the relationship patterns did not co-vary with taxonomic order. Gender effects on relationship quality were found in both age groups; especially girls reported intense relationships with their pets. In addition to gender, children without siblings had stronger attachment to their pet than children who had siblings. Our data suggest that young children develop high-quality relationships with pets, particularly those which are taxonomically closely related, such as dogs and cats, and less so with other pet species, such as birds or fish. Older children were also able to strongly attach to other pet species. We argue that mental relationship representations change during puberty and that older (11- to 14-year-old) children may no longer make attachments to pets based on them being behaviorally similar to people.

Social determinants of morbidity during infancy: Results from a cross-sectional study in rural areas of Assam, India

Background: Assam, one of the seven North Eastern states of India has achieved the highest decline in maternal and child mortality compared to other states, still neonatal mortality and infant mortality rates are very high. Apart from other causes, certain social factors unique to Indian subcontinent are also responsible for high mortality and morbidity among children here. Objectives: To know the prevailing morbidity conditions among the infants and to assess the social determinants of morbidity of infants in rural areas of Assam. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among 250 rural families having an infant in each family. The primary caregiver was interviewed using pre-tested semi-structured interview schedules and investigators also clinically evaluate the index child for any morbidity. Data collected regarding various sociodemographic variables of the family, morbidity status of the infant and also the environmental variables relevant to the study were analyzed tabulated and percentages, and proportions were calculated. Chi-square test was done to see the relationship between the factors. Results: The study observed that prevalence of teenage mothers was high (32.4%). Most of the mothers were primipara (41.2%), and were belonging to nuclear families of lower socioeconomic strata (57%). In our study, acute respiratory infections (33.3%), fever (24.6%), and diarrhea (21.7%) were found to be the most common morbidities among infants. Statistically significant association was also found between morbidity of infants and male gender (p=0.003) and numbers of siblings (p=0.005), use of sanitary water source (p=0.001), and excreta disposal (p=0.001). Conclusion: This study observed that social factors which influence infant morbidity included male gender and numbers of siblings, use of sanitary water source and excreta disposal, less education of mothers, less family income, and lower social class of the family.

ADOLESCENT INFLUENCE ON FAMILY PURCHASING DECISIONS: RESEARCH IN TURKEY

The economic, social, and cultural changes in the modern world have made adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 important influences on family purchasing decisions. No longer solely users of products and services, adolescents now influence purchasing decisions and have attracted the attention of marketers and researchers. The purpose of this study is to analyze changes in the influence of adolescents aged between 12 and 18 on family purchasing decisions depending on socio-economic and demographic factors. This study aims to determine whether changes occur regarding different product groups by establishing at which stage of the decision process adolescent influence predominates. To achieve this goal, a survey method was used as a data collection tool. Using the convenience sampling method, adolescents within the age range of 12 and 18 were interviewed in Mersin, Turkey. The research results indicate that the influence of adolescents on family purchasing decisions occurs at different stages and depends on the type of product to be purchased. The analysis further shows that adolescents’ age, gender, and number of siblings, and the family's total income, the father's level of education, and the mother's employment status also affect adolescent influence on family purchasing decisions.

Sibling Gender Composition and Women's Wages

We examine the impact of sibling gender composition on women's adult earnings. Using data from Add Health, we find that women with any brothers earn roughly 10 percent less than women with no brothers in their late 20s and early 30s. This effect is primarily due to lower earnings within broadly defined education and occupation groups. We then explore mechanisms that may explain this result. We do not find strong evidence that differences in parental investment, cognitive ability, self-reported personality traits, or parental expectations drive our results. However, we find that more family-centered behavior (including family responsibilities, being in a committed relationship, and intention to have children) among those with brothers partially explains the result. We then confirm our results with data from the NLSY-CYA.

Sibling gender composition's effect on education: evidence from China.

We use a population survey of the Chinese adult population-2010 Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) modelled after the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We find that being the oldest child gives an education benefit to male and not female children who are often assigned supervisory roles for younger siblings. Most importantly, an increase in the fraction of female siblings leads to a significant increase in education of Chinese men and to a lesser extent Chinese women. This effect is concentrated among those with rural Hukou. In China male children absorbed more education resources so that in a credit constrained family, increases in fraction of siblings who are sisters frees up resources for educating boys. This is less so for girls since their education was lower and additional resources would not be used for them.

Sibling Gender Configuration and Family Processes

The current study focuses on the effects of sibling gender configuration on family processes during early childhood. In a sample of 369 two-parent families with two children (youngest 12 months, oldest about 2 years older), both siblings’ noncompliant and oppositional behaviors and fathers’ and mothers’ sensitivity and discipline strategies were observed. Both siblings’ aggressive behaviors and empathy of the oldest sibling were assessed with parent-reports. Children in families with two sons showed more problematic interaction patterns compared with children in families with an oldest girl. In families with two boys, older siblings were more aggressive and fathers were less sensitive toward their youngest child in comparison with families with two girls. Furthermore, in boy–boy families older siblings showed more oppositional behavior and younger siblings more noncompliance compared with girl–boy families. These findings highlight the importance of sibling gender configuration in the development of child behavior and parent–child interactions.

Changes in Individual Sibling Relationships in Response to Life Events

Data from the first two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households are used to examine how individual sibling relationships change in response to life events in a gendered context. We find union formation is associated with a decline in sibling visits, as is transitioning from part- to full-time work. Becoming a parent increases support from a sibling and remaining childless over time is associated with more exchanges of support. Parental death decreases support to a sibling. Moving farther away lowers the number of visits, exchanges of support, and frequency of phoning or writing. However, for most of the life events examined, we find no significant effects on sibling relationships and little evidence that gender of siblings influences the effects of life events on sibling relationships. We conclude that the nature of individual sibling relationships remains relatively stable in the face of life events.

An investigation of playfulness of pre-school children in Turkey

ABSTRACTThe first aim of this study is to examine the validity and reliability of the Children’s Playfulness Scale (CPS), which was developed to determine pre-school children’sdisposition towards play. The second aim is to test the effects of some variables on playfulness and whether such variables affect playfulness levels of children. About 196 children participated in the research group for testing the validity and reliability of the scale, and 600 children were involved in a comparative analysis. Results of the analysis showed that the ‘CPS’ was a valid and reliable scale. The interaction effect of related variables was not found to be significant. In addition, gender affected the social spontaneity dimension, and the number of siblings affected manifest joy and sense of humour sub-dimensions. Findings suggested that birth spacing between siblings, gender of siblings, and gender roles could be involved as variables in the future research.

English

In this study; the perceptions of the students studying at sport high schools about democratic school culture were analysed in accordance with different variables. Participants of the research consisted of 216 students studying at Sport High Schools in Sakarya and Batman Provinces of Turkey. The data were collected with the Democratic School Culture Perception Scale (DSCPS). The estimated Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was .92. For the analysis of data, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H tests from non-parametrical tests as well as descriptive statistical techniques were benefited from. According to the results of the research, the students’ perceptions about democratic school culture did not vary in gender and number of sibling but varied in the relevant grade level. Key words: Democracy education, democratic education, democratic school culture, sport high shool, student.

Measuring children activity repertoire: is the paediatric activity card sort a good tool for Brazilian therapists?

Introduction: The primary Brazilian occupational therapists goal is to enable their clients to participate in the activities of everyday life. Thus, it is important that therapists have tools that capture their clients’ activities repertoires. The Paediatric Activity Card Sort (PACS) is a client-centred tool designed to capture the activity repertoire of children. However, the PACS is based on the activities of Canadian children, leading to questions regarding its use in other countries. Objective: To determine the acceptability and applicability of the PACS with Brazilian children. Method: Sixty children between 5 and 14 years participated in a descriptive cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic information. Behavioural observations were used to judge the acceptability of the PACS. Item responses and their relation to sociodemographic variables were used to examine applicability. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographics and item responses. Differences in the PACS scores between gender, race, presence of siblings, parents educational levels and marital status were assessed using non-parametric statistics. Results: Reported participation in PACS activities ranged from 95.7% (personal care) to 15.1% (sports). Eleven PACS activities had a participation rate of less than 10% and a number of new activities, not included in the PACS, were identified. Differences were found among gender and presence of siblings. Conclusion: With adjustments for the Brazilian context the PACS can be a useful tool to capture children activity suggesting the potential usefulness of a Brazilian PACS.

The Attitudes and Behaviors of the Medical Faculty Students of Inonu University towards the Disabled [Inonu Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Ogrencilerinin Engellilere Yonelik Tutum Ve Davranislari

Being disabled is a situation stemming from physical, mental or psychological functional or structural differences, which makes it difficult for the individual to participate in professional life. According to the 2011 data of the Statistical Institution of Turkey, 12.29% of the population of Turkey consists of the disabled individuals. This study has been conducted to determine the attitudes and behaviors of the Medical Faculty students of Inonu University towards the disabled individuals. The study is a cross-sectional study, and has been conducted with the Medical Faculty students of Inonu University in 2015 February-March. The minimum sampling size formula has been calculated for the 1298 Medical Faculty students of Inonu University in the study period. 658 people participated to the study. Data collection has been performed with the questionnaire technique under interview, and the questionnaire consisted of two sections. In the first section, the questions were about the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants. In the second section, the Attitude Scale for the Disabled, which was developed by Dokmen Z. in 2000, was used. In the analysis of the data, the t Test and the One-Way Variance Analysis has been used for the independent variables. The mean age of the participants was 21.94±2.28. 53.9%of the students weremale, and 46.1% were female. 31.5% of the students stated that they had a disabled individual in their families or vicinity, 3.7% of them stated that they were disabled. The average point of the students who had disabled individuals around them was 66.66±19.84, the average point of the group which did not have was 68.90±19.61 (p>0.05). The average point of the group who were disabled was 70.14±19.00, and the average point of the group who were not was 68.18±19.74 (p>0.05). According to our study, the Medical Faculty students had positive attitudes towards the disabled individuals. Young age, female gender, elementary family and plenty of siblings were the reasons for positive attitude. Social activities are needed to be added to the curricula of the Medical Faculty students who are in close interaction with every layer of the society to ensure that their attitudes become more positive towards the disabled.