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Family matters: Development of new family interrelationship variables for US IPUMS data projects

Author

Listed:
  • Gorsuch, Marina Mileo

    (St. Catherine University)

  • Williams, Kari Charlotte Wigness

    (University of Minnesota)

Abstract

In demographic datasets, researchers frequently want to identify how members of a household are related. In this paper, we develop a new method of estimating parental and spousal relationships using data on fertility patterns and family interrelationships. The improved method includes cohabiting and same-sex couples and is comparable across all modern US IPUMS data projects. A detailed variable indicates how the relationship was inferred and the level of ambiguity around that inference. The new IPUMS family interrelationship variables are very accurate, matching self-reported spouse/partner for 99.99% and parent for over 99.00% of respondents. Among those identified as same-sex couples, we match self-reported spouse/partner for 100% of respondents, 87.57% of whom self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. We further demonstrate that the new family interrelationship variables closely track temporal variation in teenage fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • Gorsuch, Marina Mileo & Williams, Kari Charlotte Wigness, 2017. "Family matters: Development of new family interrelationship variables for US IPUMS data projects," Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, IOS Press, issue 2, pages 123-149.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:iosjes:0069
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Family interrelationships; demographic datasets; family composition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values

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