Social Networks and Family Formation Processes

Download or read book Social Networks and Family Formation Processes written by Sylvia Keim and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-06-24 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do young adults decide to become parents or to remain childless? Is this an individual choice, a couple’s decision or are there other social influences involved, such as social networks? Using a mixed-methods design, Sylvia Keim combines problem-centred interviews and network data collected among young adults in western Germany. The author shows that personal relations strongly influence the perceptions, attitudes, and plans individuals express concerning parenthood. She identifies basic mechanisms and channels of social influence as well as relevant network structures. This book is valuable reading for academics, students, and policy makers interested in family research, the network perspective, and mixed-methods research.