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THE VALUE OF CHILDREN: A MULTIVARIATE COMPARISON OF RURAL AND URBAN PARENTS
Abstract
The problem addressed in this research is to investigate the several relationships existing between selected family background variables (especially rural-urban differences), stated fertility and intervening variable(s), Value of Children. Past research describes childbearing as a series of relationships existing between major background factors (e.g., age, education) and actual fertility--number of children born per family. Recent research, however, has investigated what may be referred to as an intervening variable--reasons people give for desiring children. This study employs the previously established family fertility variables to investigate the effect reasons for having children has on fertility. Data for this dissertation is drawn from Project W-144 of the Western Regional Experiment Station. A primary goal of the project is to validate the Value of Children Scale and to determine if there are cultural and residential differences or similarities in reasons that people have children. To meet this goal sampling procedures were purposive (rural and urban groups of parents and child oriented people were selected) rather than random, thus, there is no implication of generalizability of these results. For both rural and urban groups a bivariate correlation and difference of means analysis was completed to obtain a summary of the relationship between variables, similarities and differences and a significance test. Variables were selected from this analysis to be used in a path analysis which describes the structure of linkages between the independent (family background), the intervening (Value of Children) and dependent (number of children) variables. This technique was used to determine the magnitude of direct and indirect influence that each variable has on other variables that follow in the presumed causal order. Specifically, the analysis implemented a multivariate statistical design in an attempt to unravel the complex relations apparent in the decision to parent. In particular a basic rural-urban analysis was adhered to; this strategy hopefully will in part fill an apparent gap in the literature--the lack of data on rural-urban differences in values or reasons for having children.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology
Recommended Citation
MILLER, JUDITH ANN, "THE VALUE OF CHILDREN: A MULTIVARIATE COMPARISON OF RURAL AND URBAN PARENTS" (1981). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8213534.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8213534