Journal article icon

Journal article

The (conditional) resource dilution model: state- and community-level modifications

Abstract:
One of the most consistent patterns in the social sciences is the relationship between sibship size and educational outcomes: those with fewer siblings outperform those with many. The Resource Dilution (RD) model emphasizes how parental resources are increasingly divided within the nuclear family as the number of children grows, yet fails to account for instances where the relationship between sibship size and education is often weak or even positive. To reconcile, we introduce a Conditional Resource Dilution (CRD) model to acknowledge how nonparental investments might aid in children’s development and condition the effect of siblings. We revisit the General Social Surveys (1972-2010) and find support for a CRD approach—the relationship between sibship size and educational attainment has declined during the first half of the 20th Century and this relationship varies across religious groups. Findings suggest that state and community resources can offset the impact of resource dilution—a more sociological interpretation of sibship size patterns than the traditional RD model.
Publication status:
In press
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

Actions

Access Document

Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1007/s13524-016-0471-0

Authors

More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Department:
Oxford
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Springer Verlag
Journal:
Demography More from this journal
Volume:
53
Issue:
3
Pages:
723–748
Publication date:
2016-05-12
Acceptance date:
2015-11-27
DOI:
EISSN:
1533-7790
ISSN:
0070-3370


Pubs id:
pubs:604477
UUID:
uuid:f4b9647e-004a-47ad-a1a1-0894f91b1412
Local pid:
pubs:604477
Source identifiers:
604477
Deposit date:
2016-02-16
ARK identifier:

Terms of use


Views and Downloads






If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record

TO TOP