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Differential family formation in Great Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

M. J. Murphy
M. J. Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Population Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London
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Summary

Differentials in variables concerned with the timing, number, and distribution of fertility by a wide range of socioeconomic, attitudinal, inherited and housing characteristics from the British Family Formation Survey are reported. Variables associated with the couple's housing history and the wife's employment career are becoming more strongly associated with demographic differentials among younger cohorts than traditionally-based ones such as religion or region of residence. Cluster analysis techniques show which groups of family formation variables are strongly associated with particular types of non-demographic ones, and a natural grouping of explanatory variables is derived. The implications of these conclusions for data collection in demographic surveys are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , October 1987 , pp. 463 - 485
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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