TY - CHAP
T1 - The Selective Nature of Lone Parenthood
T2 - The Case of Ireland
AU - Hannan, Carmel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s).
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - A large body of literature has documented a correlation between non-traditional family structure and poorer child outcomes, yet researchers continue to disagree as to whether the association represents a true causal effect. The life course perspective allows us to disentangle the mechanisms by which family structure matters. By employing propensity score matching and using data from the Growing up in Ireland child cohort study, this chapter documents the selective nature of lone-parenthood in Ireland. Growing up in a one-parent family has modest negative effects on children’s educational outcomes but the effects are smaller in relation to health outcomes and psychological wellbeing. Selection effects however account for a non-trivial proportion of the differences in child outcomes across family types. Marriage, it appears, is not the solution to child disadvantage. Instead, the results point to the important role of the mother’s socio-economic resources.
AB - A large body of literature has documented a correlation between non-traditional family structure and poorer child outcomes, yet researchers continue to disagree as to whether the association represents a true causal effect. The life course perspective allows us to disentangle the mechanisms by which family structure matters. By employing propensity score matching and using data from the Growing up in Ireland child cohort study, this chapter documents the selective nature of lone-parenthood in Ireland. Growing up in a one-parent family has modest negative effects on children’s educational outcomes but the effects are smaller in relation to health outcomes and psychological wellbeing. Selection effects however account for a non-trivial proportion of the differences in child outcomes across family types. Marriage, it appears, is not the solution to child disadvantage. Instead, the results point to the important role of the mother’s socio-economic resources.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85073279474&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-63295-7_14
DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-63295-7_14
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85073279474
T3 - Life Course Research and Social Policies
SP - 303
EP - 322
BT - Life Course Research and Social Policies
PB - Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
ER -