Journal Article
Does the kin orientation of a British woman’s social network influence her entry into motherhood?
Publication details
Summary
This study investigates whether a female’s entry into motherhood is
influenced by the kin orientation of her social network. We use data
from the British Household Panel Study (BHPS) and define kin orientation
as the number of relatives who a female reports within her three
closest non-household friends. Discrete-time event history analysis is
undertaken to measure the risk of a first birth, controlling for
household composition and socio-economic background. We find that having
more kin in one’s close social network increases the risk of first
birth at all ages, suggesting relatives may influence fertility
behaviour in this population.
Notes
Open Access journal