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Wednesday 30 March 2016 14.00 - 16.00
Q-3 FAM03a Siblings and Life Transitions I
Aula 14, Nivel 1
Network: Family and Demography Chair: Jan Kok
Organizer: Tim Riswick Discussant: Isabelle Devos
Robyn Donrovich : Sibling Death in Early Life: the Long-term Fate of Survivors of High-risk Households
Historical demographic studies have shown that infant and child mortality was largely clustered within a smaller number of families in the long 19th century. Accordingly, the family members of these plagued households were disproportionally exposed to the same causes of death of their family member(s), given their shared genes and ... (Show more)
Historical demographic studies have shown that infant and child mortality was largely clustered within a smaller number of families in the long 19th century. Accordingly, the family members of these plagued households were disproportionally exposed to the same causes of death of their family member(s), given their shared genes and shared environment. In addition, these survivors also had to deal with the consequences of excess death of their young relatives. Focusing on the remaining siblings, in this study we will investigate the effect of brother/sister death(s) in order to isolate how family circumstances in low, medium, and high risk households (based on the proportion of deaths in the family, see Vandezande 2012 for operationalization) may be linked to increased later life mortality risk of the survivors. In doing so, we will also compare the post-reproductive mortality of research persons raised in a high-risk household to those who did not experience (many) sibling deaths. Given the linked-lives of family members, we see the association in three main ways. First, households with excess death were likely susceptible to disease, poor nutrition and hygiene, and crowded living conditions. Since early life conditions have a lasting impact on adult health and mortality, by isolating these households, we can identify individuals who were most likely exposed to adverse conditions in early life (yet were fit enough to escape early death). Second, experiencing sibling death affects an individual’s emotional well-being, certainly in the short-term (a bereavement effect), but possibly even lifelong (a scarring effect). This experience would be particularly harmful for older, more cognizant children who have already formed a relationship with their sibling. Further, sibling loss meant a missed opportunity to benefit from one of more sibling relationships through life. For better or for worse, sibling bonds are (usually) one of the most long-lasting relationships an individual has in life, and kin often influenced their siblings’ decisions and behaviors. Lastly, experiencing (excess) offspring death likely also took a toll on the parents’ health. This may have affected parent-child relationships or the quality/quantity of investment during childhood, since coping with loss may have damaged their physical and emotional well-being, and consequently, their relationships to, and resources for, the remaining children.

In light of these mechanisms, our main research question is how did survivors of excess death households fare in the long-run? Meaning, for individuals who experienced many sibling deaths in early life, was there any post-reproductive mortality disadvantage compared to their untouched peers (those who did not experience sibling deaths)? Micro-level data sourced from the COR*-sample of individual life courses in the Antwerp region during the mid-19th to the early 20th century will be used. We will conduct event-history analysis for mortality at ages 45+ focusing on several early life factors related to sibship composition and parental factors, adjusting for other key early and later life mortality determinants. (Show less)

XingChen ChiaChi Lin, Tim Riswick : The Influence of Family Composition on Infant Mortality in Single Parent Families in Taiwan (1900-1945) and the Netherlands (1870-1920)
In recent years the ‘single parent family’ has been a notable issue in the field of historical demography. Many studies suggest that the absence of a father or mother has major consequences for demographic outcomes. In this paper, I investigate by which factors infant survival is determined in households in ... (Show more)
In recent years the ‘single parent family’ has been a notable issue in the field of historical demography. Many studies suggest that the absence of a father or mother has major consequences for demographic outcomes. In this paper, I investigate by which factors infant survival is determined in households in which a father or mother is missing. The Taiwanese Historical Demographic Database and the Historical Sample of the Netherlands will be used as my source because it makes studying Taiwan and the Netherlands possible. By doing so, the Eurasian debate can be taken into account. Initial results suggest that infant mortality rates are higher in both single-parents household than in general. To male infants, it seems that fathers play a more important role on their survival, but they do not affect female infants in the same way. Furthermore, for those infants who did not live together with both parents, the infant mortality rates are lowest. This raises the following question: who live together with these infant instead of their parents? Or in other words, who is there to offer support and raise them? In this study I will investigate to what extend family members, including siblings, would be a possible source of support which could explain why infants in households without parents had lower mortality chances. (Show less)

Heejin Park, Sangwoo Han & Byunggiu Son : Sibling Effects and Infant Mortality in Korea, 1910-1977 : Evidence from Family Register and Land Register
This study will trace the changes of sibling effects on mortality of infants by investigating differences in economic status. We will use family register and land register of the Eonyang-myun, the southeastern part of Korea during the period 1910-1977. Because the relationship between siblings can range between rivalry and ... (Show more)
This study will trace the changes of sibling effects on mortality of infants by investigating differences in economic status. We will use family register and land register of the Eonyang-myun, the southeastern part of Korea during the period 1910-1977. Because the relationship between siblings can range between rivalry and cooperation during life. This relationship could vary as result of existing social and cultural customs.
Korea-has-been known for their preference for boys. Moreover, especially eldest son preferential treatment, like in China, was common before 2000. The imbalance in sex ratio caused by daughter-abortion was becoming a major social issue after 1980s. We suggest that the rivalry between siblings in this case might have a strong effect on infant and child mortality when the number of siblings is high. In addition, the size and composition of the sibling set will also influence the practice of infanticide and in turn infant mortality by intentional neglect. We focus on the period 1910-1977, when Korean society had undergone a sudden change, because the shifting social status and changing society may have an influence on sibling effects. Korean society had transformed from agrarian society to industrialized society.
We can presume that the sibling effects were changed as a result of social and economic shifts during this time period. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to make sure how sibling effects have operated in the society which strongly prefer boys and eldest sons. First, we investigate the effect of variables-sex, number of siblings, birth order and composition of siblings-on mortality of infants. And our study will be done on 30,000 individuals who lived in the Eonyang-myun, a rural community.
Second, we will study the impact of the spread of contraception on sibling effects. The contraception has been spread from the 1960s onwards, which allows us to examine if there is any change in sibling effects before and after 1960. Finally we examine if the change of the sibling effects were depending on the scale of family land ownership by linking it with the land register.
(Show less)

Tim Riswick : Between Rivalry and Support: Differences in the Mortality Chances of Brothers and Sisters in the Netherlands (1860-1910)
The pathways of sibling effects – through variables like birth order, sibship size and composition –has been the source of much debate in historical demography. Yet, the most extreme form of inequality, death, has received little investigation in this regard, while Kippen and Walters (2012) concluded that the presence of ... (Show more)
The pathways of sibling effects – through variables like birth order, sibship size and composition –has been the source of much debate in historical demography. Yet, the most extreme form of inequality, death, has received little investigation in this regard, while Kippen and Walters (2012) concluded that the presence of any additional sibling under the age of five increases the probability of dying for children younger than five. This paper will follow the approach of Kippen and Walters (2012) and take the possible influence of siblings on infant and child mortality into account by studying the possible effect of sibling rivalry and support in the Netherlands. My paper will use similar Cox-hazard proportional models (event history analysis) to analyse data from the HSN of three distinct regions in the Netherlands (North-Holland, the East of North-Brabant, and the Achterhoek) to investigate if similar results can be found. In addition, differences between these three regions are also investigated because I hypothesise that support and rivalry may differ within these three variations of family systems within the Netherlands. (Show less)



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