Self-Esteem Enhancement Through Fertility? Socioeconomic Prospects, Gender, and Mutual Influence

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American sociological review 1997-12, Vol.62 (6), p.965-973
Main Author: Oates, Gary L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Birth
Children
Class Differences
Economic Conditions
Economic status
Effects of Fertility on Individuals and Nations
Enhancement
Female fertility
Fertility
Gender
Gender differences
General studies
Men
Parent Child Relations
Parenthood
Parents
Pregnancy
Psychology (self-esteem)
Self Esteem
Selfesteem
Sex Differences
Social psychology
Social status
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomics
Sociology
USA
Wellbeing
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0003-1224
1939-8271
DOI:10.2307/2657350