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Past research suggests that children from two-parent married families fare better than children from other families on many outcomes. Only fragmented evidence on diverse family trajectories in association with child mental health is available. Using multi-channel sequence analysis and data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, we jointly capture maternal partnership trajectories and type of father co-residence between birth and age 5. We then assess the association between these family trajectories and child mental health at age 5 and 8 using random effects regression. Children whose trajectories include the entrance of a non-biological father or parental separation have the lowest levels of mental health. However, children of never partnered mothers and those who repartner with the biological father have comparable mental health to children of stably married biological parents. Thus, not all types of family complexity or instability appear to be equally detrimental to children's mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of children are being raised with few or no siblings yet the consequences of this seismic demographic shift in family forms are not well understood. We investigate this question in the U.S. and China because previous studies highlight how contextual features can play an important role shaping how siblings matter. Our Chinese analyses draw on more than 9,400 eighth graders from the China Education Panel Study (CEPS). In the U.S., we analyze over 9,100 American eighth graders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Cohort of 1998 (ECLS-K:98), where our data allow us to consider multiple features of the sibship structure (e.g., size, sex composition, and density). We find that number of siblings is negatively associated with mental health in both China and the U.S., although the details of this pattern (non-linear association, sisters versus brothers, and closely versus widely spaced siblings) vary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I investigated subjective well-being (SWB)—happiness, meaningfulness, sadness, stress, and tiredness—of 7,087 mothers, engaged in 11,154 cases of activities in which their children were present, using the Conservation of Resources theory. Results of OLS analysis of data from the American Time Use Study suggested that the presence of her parent(s) during the activities was associated positively with the mother's happiness and negatively with her stress. Total time spent with her parent(s) was positively associated with the mother's tiredness. Co-residence with parents was not significantly related to the mother's SWB. The association between the mother's SWB and her involvement with parents was positively moderated by demographic variables that may have increased her need for core resources in the form of kin support. The focus on sandwiched activities in which a mother engaged with her children and parents permitted direct assessment of how those activities affected the mother's SWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has witnessed a dramatic expansion of higher education, and women have emerged as noteworthy winners in the process. This paper focuses on the role of female college education on four dimensions of marriage: age at marriage, autonomy in the choice of spouse, work and financial empowerment, and quality of marital relationship. The study uses a sample of 35,561 currently married women from the 2011-2012 wave of the nationally representative India Human Development Survey (IHDS). It demonstrates that higher education, particularly college education, enables women to lead lives substantively different from their less-educated peers. College-educated women marry at later ages, enjoy greater autonomy in choosing their husbands, and have a more egalitarian relationship with their spouses. Furthermore, the study finds that educational homogamy and hypogamy afford greater autonomy to women. Even without a concomitant increase in labor force participation, college education among women appears to have a transformative effect on marriage in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the U.S., evidence has emerged suggesting that divorce is lower among those with many versus few siblings, a pattern that may indicate that children develop important social skills via their childhood interactions with siblings. However, this pattern has yet to be tested in other countries with varying fertility and divorce rates. We extend the empirical basis of the sibship size/divorce literature by exploring the association in China and Europe, each with unique demographic characteristics. Each additional sibling is associated with an 11 percent decline in the probability of divorce in China and a two percent decline in Europe, net a wide range of covariates. We also test whether these patterns vary across cohorts and alternative coding schemes. The results have implications for our understanding of how growing up with siblings influences later life outcomes and the contextual features that form that relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premarital sex predicts divorce, but we do not know why. Scholars have attributed the relationship to factors such as differences in beliefs and values, but these explanations have not been tested. It is further unclear how this relationship changes by number of sexual partners, or differs by gender. We re-examine this relationship with event history models using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Models include measures of adolescent beliefs and values, religious background, and personal characteristics, as well as approximate number of premarital sexual partners in young adulthood. We find the relationship between premarital sex and divorce is highly significant and robust even when accounting for early-life factors. Compared to people with no premarital partners other than eventual spouses, those with nine or more partners exhibit the highest divorce risk, followed by those with one to eight partners. There is no evidence of gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies in the United Kingdom have shown distinctions in intergenerational co-residency between UK-born and foreign-born individuals, however, little research has examined how factors such as immigrant incorporation, economic adaptation, and kin availability shape household formation patterns among immigrants. This paper uses data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (2009–2010) to explore differences in the likelihood of UK-born and foreign-born working-aged adults to co-reside with at least one parent, highlighting distinctions by life stage (age) at migration and gender. Results show that, regardless of life stage at migration, foreign-born women and men are less likely to co-reside with parents than UK-born, however, intergenerational co-residency is high among some second-generation immigrant groups, particularly UK-born Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi individuals. These findings challenge cultural assumptions about household formation patterns and point to the need for additional research on how economic inequality, kin availability, and gender norms shape immigrant household composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature reveals the multifaceted experiences of the biologically related children of parents in adoptive families, or adoptive siblings. Adoptive siblings report a range of positive and negative experiences related to adoption. Some adoptive siblings describe their families as fractured or broken after adoption while others describe adoption as bringing their families closer together. Because of the range of experiences expressed, the current study examines specific factors to determine what is related to or affects adoptive sibling's view of their family relationships. Results of this study revealed that no specific family factors were significantly related to adoptive sibling's views; however, adoptive siblings who reported being in families that talked openly and honestly about their thoughts and feelings reported increased family connection and satisfaction and increased sibling closeness with their adopted sibling. These findings elicit further understanding of the adoptive sibling experience and include clinical implications for supporting adoptive families post-adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, women are mostly in charge of working in the fields, providing unpaid care, which includes housekeeping and providing care for others in their homes and communities without receiving any specific financial compensation. The present study is aimed at assessing the significance, nature and size of the responsiveness of women's unpaid work to the various demographic characteristics of families in the tribal and non-tribal areas of India. The impacts of different variables on SNA, ESNA, NSNA, and overall unpaid work of tribal and nontribal women were separately investigated. The Multiple Linear Regression Model was applied using the Microsoft Office Excel Analysis ToolPak. The findings suggest that women are engaged in SNA activities regardless of the family's demographic structure in both tribal and non-tribal areas. However, the participation of non-tribal women in ESNA activities is more complex and requires further study compared to tribal women. The involvement of tribal and non-tribal women in NSNA activities is influenced by factors beyond demographic variables (except age), such as psychological, social, and cultural factors. In case of the overall unpaid work burden, the impact of the same factors (except for the number of family members) on unpaid work differs between tribal and non-tribal women. However, education demonstrates a strong positive and significant impact on reducing unpaid work burden across both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the evolution of the morphology of families in Peru in the different stages of the demographic transition, in a comparative approach between urban and rural areas. To do so, it takes as indicators the composition, size and headship of households, from the population censuses from 1972 to 2017, and from the Household Surveys from 2000 to 2020. The results show a diversification of the nuclear model, an increase in single-person and female-headed households, and a decrease in the size of households, with differences within both areas of residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey study of the language and literacy practices of first-generation Turkish immigrant families with 3- to 6-year-old children was conducted in England. Information on family socioeconomic background, migration history and language skills of 168 first-generation Turkish parents was collected through structured interviews in Greater London and Northwest England. The study findings suggest that early childhood experiences that are important for the educational attainment of immigrant children may be affected by the family characteristics and the integration experiences of parents. Regression analyses demonstrated that parents from disadvantaged backgrounds engaged in language and literacy activities less often and preferred Turkish as the interaction language at home. Parent's social integration, measured via parent's length of residence and English skills, significantly predicted their language use with their children. Low social integration was associated with increased Turkish use, whereas high social integration was associated with more frequent language and literacy activities at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the effects of household structure on education in Cambodia. Consistent evidence documents that residence with both biological parents benefits children's education in Western countries. Elsewhere, the issue is gaining more attention with the growing number of "left-behind children" due to adult migration and, possibly, changes in family behavior, but the extant record is both thinner and more contrasted. Controlling for the presence of grandparents and some household characteristics, we find children residing with both biological parents are more likely to be enrolled in school, in the appropriate grade for their age, and literate than those living with only one parent. The effect sizes appear comparable to those in most Western countries, but the effects shrink or even disappear when grandparents are present. The results for children not residing with either parent are mixed, suggesting negative effects for some children might be blurred by positive selection for some others.

In the United States, high marital instability calls for more research on union transitions after marital dissolution. Previous studies focus on remarriage and pay little attention to rising post-dissolution cohabitation. In this study, I apply marital search theory to examine the level, pace, and differentials of repartnering (remarriage or cohabitation vs. staying single) and the exit from cohabitation (remarriage or dissolution vs. staying cohabiting). Adopting union history data from the pooled National Survey of Family Growth (2011–2017), I track union transitions among a sample of N = 2129 women. Analyses based on life tables and discrete-time event history analyses reveal important findings. First, most women repartner after marital dissolution. Compared to remarriage, cohabitation occurs more frequently and shows a quicker pace. Second, post-dissolution cohabitation is short-lived, and its transition to remarriage is more common than to dissolution. Third, these union transitions differ by demographic and socioeconomic predictors, including age, race and ethnicity, and education. Overall, I reveal that post-dissolution union transition is a divergent and unequal process, and I further discuss the implications on theory and family inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses data from the American Community Survey to examine the relationship between race, family configurations, and inequalities in private school enrollment among adoptees. We find that private school enrollment is higher in transracial than in same-race families. This disparity is driven by the outcomes of adoptees in transracial families with zero rather than one same-race parent. Among adoptees themselves, there are diverging patterns of racial stratification in same-race and transracial families. White adoptees in same-race families are more likely to be enrolled in private school than Black, Asian, or Hispanic adoptees in such families. However, among adoptees in transracial families, the highest odds of private school enrollment are found among Asians. Finally, we argue that our findings have important implications for understanding how kinship cues, compensation, and social disadvantage shape parental investment in adopted children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in Western countries has demonstrated that marriage is associated with improved well-being, and parenthood with decreased well-being, for both men and women. However, less is known about whether the associations are universal for both genders across countries. Using nine waves of panel data and fixed effects models, this study examines the relationship between changes in family roles and subjective well-being of men and women in the highly gendered social context of Japan. Well-being was assessed across two domains: self-rated health and mental health. The results broadly support the protective effect theory, which posits that marriage itself has a positive effect on well-being; however, no association was observed between becoming a wife and self-rated health. Contrary to what previous research predicts, only men's self-rated health negatively responds to transition to parenthood. These findings highlight the importance of country context and gender differences in the significance of family obligations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of family reconstitution has been considered inapplicable in Mexico, due to the multiple obstacles offered by the available documentary sources. However, this paper demonstrates that it is possible to apply this method. In Uruapan the reconstitution method was used between the late 17th century and much of the 18th century, which provided fundamental data on fecundity, age to marriage, family size, protogenic and intergenetic intervals. These data showed changes in the two registered quality groups: Indians and Rational People. Fecundity was analyzed in several components: age to marriage, years of marriage, evolution by age, years of marriage and procreated children. Fecundity was also analyzed during the study period to identify the effect of mortality crises and hollow generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focuses on understanding the association between parental socio-economic status (SES) and the likelihood of women experiencing a first birth while single, and identifying societal factors that influence this association in 18 North American and European societies. Previous research has shown that single motherhood occurs disproportionately among those from with lower a lower parental SES. The study assesses whether this is caused by parental SES differences in the risk of single women experiencing a first conception leading to a live birth or by parental SES differences in how likely women are to enter a union during pregnancy. Additionally, an assessment is made of whether cross-national differences in these associations can be explained by a country's access to family planning, norms regarding family formation, and economic inequality. Across countries, a negative gradient of parental SES was found on the likelihood of single women to experience a first pregnancy. The negative gradient was stronger in countries with better access to family planning. In some countries, the negative gradient of parental SES was aggravated during pregnancy because women from lower parental SES were less likely to enter a union. This was mostly found in societies with less conservative norms regarding marriage. The results suggest that certain developments in Western societies may increase socio-economic differentials in family demography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study is to examine what parents think about individuals with disabilities and inclusion, to what extent parents' attitudes are related to their children's attitudes toward peers with disabilities and other family demographics, and how parents address disabilities to their children. Using surveys and interviews, data were collected from 50 children in kindergarten or 1st grade classes and their parents in the United States. Results showed that parents' attitudes toward individuals with disabilities were significantly correlated with their previous experiences with people with disabilities. However, none of the family demographics were related to their attitudes and no relations were found between children's attitudes and parents' attitudes toward individuals with disabilities. Results from parent interviews also revealed that a small number of parents had talked about disabilities or challenging behaviours with their children. Based on the results, suggestions for research and implications for practices are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The death of a parent, particularly the mother, is linked to a suite of negative outcomes across the life-course. Compounding concerns for child outcomes are expectations of poor treatment by step-parents after parental remarriage. Indeed, folk tales of step-parental abuse abound cross-culturally and are embedded into stories taught to children. To understand why child outcomes might be sensitive to levels of relatedness within the household, evolutionary-oriented research targets patterning in parental expenditure in ways predicted to maximize inclusive fitness. In particular, parents are expected to prioritize investments in their biological children. However, stepfamilies are only formed after children experience multiple unfortunate events (e.g. parental loss, poverty), blurring causal interpretations between step-parental presence and stepchild outcomes. Moreover, stepchildren have been shown to be integral to household functioning, caring for their half-siblings and stabilizing relationships. These results challenge narrow views of adaptive behaviour; specifically, that step-parents, unlike biological parents, do no stand to reap fitness benefits from the care that they provide to their stepchildren. To evaluate these critiques, we analyse the survival outcomes of stepchildren. We include over 400 000 individuals from across a natural fertility period (1847-1940) in the United States state of Utah and examine the consequences of parental loss and step-parental introduction. Our analyses yield three key results: (i) exposure to maternal loss in childhood is associated with elevated mortality risk, (ii) parental remarriage does not increase the risk of mortality among stepchildren compared to non-stepchildren who too had lost a parent, and (iii) stepchildren enjoy higher survival than their half-siblings within the same family. Ultimately, this work contributes to the increasingly recognized importance of cooperative relationships among non-kin for childcare and household functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are daughters of older mothers less fertile? The human mutation rate is high and increases with chronological age. As female oocytes age, they become less functional, reducing female chances at successful reproduction. Increased oocyte mutation loads at advanced age may be passed on to offspring, decreasing fertility among daughters born to older mothers. In this paper we study the effects of maternal ageing on her daughter's fertility, including total number of children, age at last birth, and neonatal mortality among her children. We study fertility histories of two generations of women from mutually exclusive families from a pre-demographic transition historical population in the Dutch province of Zeeland. Using mixed effect Poisson and linear models to take within family (sibling) relations into account, we show that among married daughters fertility is reduced for those who were born to mothers with an advanced maternal age, resulting in fewer children ever born and earlier ages at last birth. We do not find consistent evidence for effects on neonatal mortality. These results may indicate that women born to older mothers are negatively affected by their mothers' increased age.

Research consistently finds that fathers who take time off work when their children are born exhibit higher levels of paternal engagement relative to fathers who do not take time off work. This study aims to identify one possible mediating factor: fathers' co-residence with their children and their children's biological mothers over time. The current study uses data from the Fragile Families and Wellbeing Study and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships between fathers' time off work when their children were born, residence with their children and their children's biological mothers, and levels of father-child engagement (n = 2,453). Results indicated that the number of weeks taken off work was positively associated with men's subsequent residence with their children and children's mothers when their children were five-years-old, which in turn was positively associated with paternal engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2000, transition to adulthood behaviors changed across gender and social class. Yet it is unclear whether these changes reflect a corresponding shift in beliefs. In particular, widening inequality and changes to higher education may differentially alter the opportunities available to young adults across gender and socioeconomic status, potentially changing attitudes about entering adulthood. Using the General Social Survey's 2002 and 2012 waves, this paper explores beliefs about the importance and timing of six adult milestones, completing education, becoming financially independent, working full-time, living independently, getting married, and having children, across age, gender, and social class. We find that similarities in beliefs across gender and age groups persisted. In contrast, even though Americans from different social class backgrounds report similar beliefs about milestone importance, we continue to find social class differences in timing beliefs. Our findings highlight the continued need for institutional supports for disadvantaged youth moving towards adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between extradyadic social support and divorce risk, net of existing need for support. Social support aids couples in weathering challenges but social ties may also enable divorce or compete with spousal relationships. Using a nationally representative sample of married couples in the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 7,321), this study employs discrete-time event history models to test the associations of perceived support and help received with divorce risk. Results indicate that perceived support is positively associated with divorce, and this relationship persists even after accounting for couples' needs. Specifically, perceived emotional support positively predicts divorce risk. This finding suggests that social ties may sometimes challenge marital relationships or facilitate divorce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational coresidence is at a 30-year high. Studies find that economic, familial, and demographic factors shape the likelihood of this arrangement. We use NLSY79 and NLSY79YA data (2000–2014; N = 3,092) to examine how the mental health and substance use of both adult children and their mothers matter for coresidential biographies, estimating risks of moving out of and returning to their mothers' households. Adult children who drink, smoke, or have more depressive symptoms, or whose mothers drink or smoke, are more likely to leave their mother's household; adult children with more depressive symptoms and who smoke are more likely to return. Our findings show that children's and mothers' health are key determinants of coresidential patterns, suggesting that it is not just family arrangements that impact health but health that impacts family arrangements. As intergenerational coresidence increases, researchers should continue to look beyond economic, familial, and demographic determinants of coresidence to health dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motherhood represents a valued status in American culture especially for biological mothers within stable first-marriages. Focusing on partnered women, this study examined how and why mental health differed across three motherhood statuses: biological-only, step-only, and double mothers (i.e., both biological and step). Using data from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB), we found lower life satisfaction among step-only and double mothers compared to biological-only mothers. More economic hardship, lower quality romantic relationships, and higher rates of cohabitation fully explained the differences between biological-only and double mothers in life satisfaction. Differences between biological-only and step-only mothers are partially explained by self-esteem and cohabitation. Double mothers also reported higher psychological distress than biological-only mothers. This difference is partially explained by lower romantic relationship quality and more economic hardship among double mothers. We found no differences in psychological distress between step-only and biological-only mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increases at age at first birth in the United States, we have little research on how individuals conceptualize the ideal age to have a child. Using qualitative interviews with male and female young adults in greater New York City, we examined individuals' responses to questions about the ideal age at first birth. We find factors associated with an age being ideal tend to fall in four main domains: structural/social position factors, interpersonal factors, fertility and health-related factors, and aspirational factors. This research suggests that the ideal age is higher than the actual age at first birth, and both males and females consider a number of factors when choosing an ideal age, including education and career. We find that interpersonal and aspirational factors are also important considerations. Understanding ideal age at first birth is important for understanding family formation decision making in relation to age and may have important implications in other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many parts of the world, fertility has declined in important ways in the past century. What are the consequences of this demographic change? Our study expands the empirical basis for understanding the relationship between number of siblings in childhood and social outcomes among adults. An important recent study found that for each additional sibling an individual grows up with, the likelihood of divorce as an adult declines by 3%. We expand this work by (a) determining whether the original pattern replicates in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and (b) extending the analysis beyond divorce to consider whether growing up with siblings is related to prosocial adult behaviors (relationships with parents, friends, and views on conflict management with one's partner). Our results confirm a negative association between number of siblings and divorce in adulthood. We find mixed results related to other prosocial adult behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviews the institutional factors that have influenced the fertility and family trends in five East Asian societies that experienced a precipitous transition to very low fertility: China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. The paper begins by outlining the unique family formation patterns of these societies and the existing explanations for their observed ultra-low fertility levels. In particular, it highlights the role of Confucian culture, which emphasises patriarchal values and credentialism, in shaping the current state of low fertility in East Asia. For example, the ways in which Confucianism affects women’s roles at home, the effectiveness of pronatalist policies and the burden of human capital investments among parents are discussed. With these contextual factors and the current very low fertility rates as a backdrop, this study also examines attitudinal changes in marriage and family values that have taken place in these societies after the new millennium. These changes could further erode the traditional family and influence family formation trends in the future. The article concludes by discussing recent policy responses and the possible future of fertility in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the focus of this issue of the journal on the impact of the family on marketing and a consideration of the impact of marketing on families. A description of the review process for papers selected for the issue is provided along with a summary of the topics of the papers. Some of the topics explored include the initial journey toward family and the transition into motherhood. The issue of food is also discussed as it becomes an area of contestation and negotiation. Other papers explore beyond the nuclear family as white, middle class and heterosexual, to examine ethnic, poor, homosexual families, and families with disabled children.

Income pooling is a common behavior among couples. However, cohabiting and married individuals in more complex families, namely those with stepchildren, are less likely to pool incomes. Similarly, income pooling might be unlikely when there are nonresident children, who could potentially draw resources outside the household, yet prior work has largely overlooked the role of nonresident children. We take advantage of a unique data set, the Family and Relationships Study, which allows us to not only identify shared and unshared children (i.e., stepchildren) within the household but also unshared children outside the household. Focusing on cohabiting and married individuals (N = 4,408), we find that those with resident unshared children are less likely to pool incomes but that nonresident children are unrelated to income pooling. The results confirm that household-level complexity is a key factor in couples' economic decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offer information on a study of type 2 respiratory innate lymphoid cells in human infants with severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). It mentions data regarding general health, infant characteristics, family demographics, and respiratory-related para-clinical parameters were collected by study personnel; and also mentions that supernatants from nasal aspirates were subjected to an electrochemiluminescent-based multiplex assay.

This study examines characteristics of stay-at-home father (SAHF) families in Hong Kong and factors contributing to their increase. Based on two decades of census data (1991–2011), we find father's older (relative) age, lower education relative to their spouse, and lower household income increase the probability of having SAHF arrangements, leading us to believe that some fathers enter SAHF arrangements because of their inability to work or due to unemployment. Younger age of children, which often implies more intensive work, lowers the probability of unable-to-work SAHF arrangement, while increases the probability of caregiving SAHF arrangement. While childcare gap between caregiving SAHFs and stay-at-home mothers has narrowed, the effect of the number of young children on caregiving SAHF households has become negative over time. These results imply the conflicting forces SAHF families face: notions of masculinity that exclude childcare are at odds with the increasing value of paternal participation in the lives of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether income‐pooling strategies differ between married and cohabiting individuals without children, only biological children, or any stepchildren. Background: Americans are forming families in new ways via cohabitation and stepfamilies, which may have implications for resource pooling. Although a majority of married and cohabiting couples pool their incomes, little is known about the role of children in couple's income‐pooling behaviors. Method: The authors use recently collected, nationally representative data from the Families and Relationships Study (n = 4,362). Controlling for sociodemographic, household, and relationship characteristics, the authors use logistic regression to predict the odds of income pooling among married and cohabiting individuals without children, only biological children, or any stepchildren. Results: The likelihood of income pooling remained similar among cohabitors regardless of the configuration of children in the household. Among married families, however, the likelihood of income pooling differed by the presence of resident stepchildren. Married families with resident stepchildren had a lower probability of pooling their income when compared with married families with only resident biological children. Conclusion: The ways economic resources are shared differs across family types. The findings from this study are consistent with an incomplete institutionalization perspective and demonstrate that individuals in cohabiting‐couple families and married‐couple families with resident stepchildren are less likely to pool their incomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Any individual is surrounded by a network of kin that develops over her lifetime. In a justly famous paper, Goodman, Keyfitz, and Pullum (1974) presented formal calculations of the mean numbers of (female, matrilineal) kin implied by a mortality and fertility schedule. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is a new theory of kinship demography that provides age distributions as well as expected numbers, permits calculation of properties (e.g., dependency) of kin, is easily computable, and does not require simulation. METHODS The analysis relies on a novel application of the matrix formulation of cohort component population projection to describe the dynamics of a kinship network. The approach arises from the observation that the kin of a focal individual form a population, and can be modelled as one. RESULTS Kinship dynamics are described by a coupled system of non-autonomous matrix equations. I show how to calculate age distributions, total numbers, prevalence, dependency, and the experience of the death of relatives. As an example, I compare the kinship networks implied by the period vital rates of Japanese women in 1947 and 2014. Over this interval, fertility declined by 70% while life expectancy increased by 60%. The implications of these changes for kinship structure are profound; a lifetime dominated, under 1947 rates, by the experience of the death of kin has changed to one in which the death of kin is a rare event. On the other hand, the burden of dependent aged kin, including those suffering from dementia, is many-fold larger under 2014 rates. CONCLUSIONS This new theory opens to investigation hitherto inaccessible aspects of kinship, with potential applications to many problems in family demography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]