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Author: Oates, Gary L.
Resulting in 2 citations.
1. Oates, Gary L.
Self-Esteem Enhancement Through Fertility? Addressing Issues of Socio-Economic Prospects, Gender, and Mutual Influence
Presented: New York, NY, American Sociological Association, August 1996
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: American Sociological Association
Keyword(s): Divorce; Gender Differences; Marriage; Parenthood; Self-Esteem; Socioeconomic Factors

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, examines whether or not parenthood (as measured by number of children) enhances one's self-esteem, whether the effect of parenthood on self-esteem is stronger among the less socioeconomically privileged & among women, & whether there is evidence of mutual influence in the relationship between parenthood & self-esteem. Results indicate that parenthood does not influence the self-esteem of men, & wields a modest negative effect on the self-esteem of women. The latter effect, however, appears to be a spurious consequence of the relationship between both variables & socioeconomic prospects, a variable that displays a strong positive correlation with self-esteem, & a strong negative correlation with number of children. There is no evidence that having children enhances the self-esteem of those who are less socioeconomically privileged, or any other class of individuals. Results are also more consistent with the notion that parenthood influences self-esteem, rather than the reverse. (Copyright 1996, Sociological Abstracts, Inc., all rights reserved.)
Bibliography Citation
Oates, Gary L. "Self-Esteem Enhancement Through Fertility? Addressing Issues of Socio-Economic Prospects, Gender, and Mutual Influence." Presented: New York, NY, American Sociological Association, August 1996.
2. Oates, Gary L.
Self-Esteem Enhancement Through Fertility? Socioeconomic Prospects, Gender, and Mutual Influence
American Sociological Review 62,6 (December 1997): 965-973.
Also: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2657350
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: American Sociological Association
Keyword(s): Fertility; Gender Differences; LISREL; Self-Esteem; Sex Roles; Siblings; Social Emotional Development; Social Influences

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

I analyze data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), using a LISREL model to examine whether having children influences one's self-esteem, whether the effect of children on self-esteem is stronger among the less socioeconomically privileged and among women, and whether there is evidence of mutual influence in the relationship between having children and self-esteem. I find that the number of children does not affect self-esteem; this holds true for both women and men, and for different socioeconomic groups. There is no evidence of nonlinearity in the relationship between number of children and self-esteem. Further, self-esteem does not affect whether men or women have children.
Bibliography Citation
Oates, Gary L. "Self-Esteem Enhancement Through Fertility? Socioeconomic Prospects, Gender, and Mutual Influence." American Sociological Review 62,6 (December 1997): 965-973.