Search Results

Author: Nitsche, Natalie
Resulting in 10 citations.
1. Gabay-Egozi, Limor
Grieger, Lloyd D.
Nitsche, Natalie
Brothers, Sisters, and STEM Majoring: Is a Younger Sibling's Choice of College Major Affected by the Firstborn's Sex and Ability in Math?
Presented: Austin TX, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2019
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Brothers; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Siblings; Sisters; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Though women reached parity with men in terms of college attendance, fewer women choose STEM majors. We examine whether the compositional characteristics of a sib-group are associated with a younger sibling's decision to pursue a STEM major in college. Theoretically, we conjoin and extend sociological theories that link sib-group configuration and educational attainment to STEM majoring. Empirically, we use data from the children of the NLSY79-cohort and find that sib-group size is negatively associated with pursuing a STEM major. We show that math ability of the firstborn is positively associated with a sibling’s choice of a STEM major in college, but only among same-sex siblings. Finally, number of brothers is positively associated with choosing a STEM major for both girls and boys. Our work is the first to provide evidence about the link between sib-group compositional characteristics and the choice of college major by younger siblings in the U.S.
Bibliography Citation
Gabay-Egozi, Limor, Lloyd D. Grieger and Natalie Nitsche. "Brothers, Sisters, and STEM Majoring: Is a Younger Sibling's Choice of College Major Affected by the Firstborn's Sex and Ability in Math?" Presented: Austin TX, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2019.
2. Gabay-Egozi, Limor
Nitsche, Natalie
Grieger, Lloyd D.
"Setting the Tone": Sex of the First Child and Educational Outcomes of Subsequent Siblings
Presented: San Diego CA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April-May 2015
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Birth Order; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Gender Attitudes/Roles; Parental Influences; Parenting Skills/Styles; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Siblings; Sociability/Socialization/Social Interaction; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Despite the large influx of women into higher education, gender segregation in STEM college majors persists. Sibship composition has been a major focus in explaining vertical gender differences in educational attainment, yet studies looking at sibling dynamics in understanding horizontal gender segregation have been rare. We close this gap, suggesting a new line of thought. We hypothesize that the sex of the first child 'sets the tone' for a gendered environment in the family, which subsequently impacts gendered self-concepts, interests and eventually choice of college major of subsequent siblings. Using data from the NLSY79 Youth and Children, we investigate whether second born girls with older brothers are more likely to choose a college major in a predominantly male field, compared to girls with older sisters. In particular, we examine whether having an older brother increases the likelihood for girls with above average math skills to choose STEM majors.
Bibliography Citation
Gabay-Egozi, Limor, Natalie Nitsche and Lloyd D. Grieger. ""Setting the Tone": Sex of the First Child and Educational Outcomes of Subsequent Siblings." Presented: San Diego CA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April-May 2015.
3. Gabay-Egozi, Limor
Nitsche, Natalie
Grieger, Lloyd D.
In Their Footsteps or Shadow? Gender Differences in Choosing a STEM Major as a Function of Sibling Configuration and Older Sibling's Gender and Math Ability
Sex Roles published online (27 November 2021): DOI: 10.1007/s11199-021-01255-0.
Also: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-021-01255-0
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: Springer
Keyword(s): Birth Order; Cognitive Ability; College Major/Field of Study/Courses; Family Size; Family Structure; Gender Differences; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Siblings; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Although the association between siblings' compositional characteristics and educational performance has been extensively studied, the question of whether the features of a sibling group are related to substantive gendered educational preferences has not been examined. Our analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort (NLSY-79) Mothers and Children Files (N = 1545; 57% young women; 22% STEM major) showed that siblings' compositional characteristics matter for STEM major preferences in college, but only for young women. Our findings indicated that women were more likely to prefer a STEM major if they were raised in smaller sibling groups, in male sibling group dominance, and if they had an older sister with high math achievement. These results are in line with the resource dilution approach; they shed light on the effects of being in a normative male-role sibling group climate; and they suggest that gendered outcomes are shaped by the interplay of role modeling and same-gender competitive stimulation. We also found that for young men, their preference for majoring in a STEM field was mostly driven by their own math ability. These findings suggest that socialization experiences that operate on the sibling level play a crucial role in whether girls become interested in and pursue "gender-atypical" educational choices. Our findings also underscore the need to differentiate these theoretical approaches by gender, particularly when applied to gendered outcomes such as STEM career trajectories.
Bibliography Citation
Gabay-Egozi, Limor, Natalie Nitsche and Lloyd D. Grieger. "In Their Footsteps or Shadow? Gender Differences in Choosing a STEM Major as a Function of Sibling Configuration and Older Sibling's Gender and Math Ability." Sex Roles published online (27 November 2021): DOI: 10.1007/s11199-021-01255-0.
4. Lee, D. Susie
Nitsche, Natalie
Barclay, Kieron
Body Mass Index in Early Adulthood and Transition to First Birth: Racial/Ethnic and Sex Differences in the United States NLSY79 Cohort
Population Studies: A Journal of Demography published online (25 October 2022): DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2022.2128396.
Also: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00324728.2022.2128396
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Keyword(s): Body Mass Index (BMI); Ethnic Differences; First Birth; Gender Differences; Obesity; Racial Differences

Studies show that body mass index during early adulthood ('early BMI') predicts the transition to first birth, but early childbearers tend to be omitted from such studies. This sample selection distorts the prevalence of childlessness, and particularly the racial/ethnic heterogeneity therein, because first birth timing differs by race/ethnicity. We imputed pre-parenthood early BMI for a larger sample, including early childbearers, for the same United States NLSY79 data used in a previous study and simulated differences in the probability of childlessness at age 40+ using posterior distributions based on the Bayesian framework. Obesity was consistently associated with higher childlessness across racial/ethnic groups in both sexes, but only among obese women were first births delayed until after early adulthood. The overall lower childlessness among the underweight women appeared largely driven by Black women. Our findings on the intersectionality of race/ethnicity and sex in the BMI-childlessness pathways encourage research on the underlying mechanisms and on more recent cohorts across different societies.
Bibliography Citation
Lee, D. Susie, Natalie Nitsche and Kieron Barclay. "Body Mass Index in Early Adulthood and Transition to First Birth: Racial/Ethnic and Sex Differences in the United States NLSY79 Cohort." Population Studies: A Journal of Demography published online (25 October 2022): DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2022.2128396.
5. Nitsche, Natalie
A Couple-Perspective on Fertility Outcomes: Do Relative Resources Matter for First and Second Births?
Presented: San Francisco CA, Population Association of America Meetings, May 2012
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Births, Repeat / Spacing; Childbearing; Educational Attainment; Fertility; First Birth; Gender Attitudes/Roles; Income Level; Labor Supply

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

McDonald (2000) has suggested that socio-economic gender equity within couples is a crucial component in women’s fertility decisions. Empirically, however, little is known about how couple dynamics are influencing fertility outcomes. This paper examines if gender equity, measured as relative levels of income, education, and labor market supply, affects the transition to first and second births in the US. While studies have investigated the effect of the gendered division of household labor on birth transitions, I argue that it is problematic as an indicator of intra-couple gender equity because research has shown that the division of household labor is itself an outcome of relative resources in couples. Using the NLSY79, this paper will use Cox regression models to understand how relative resources, absolute resources, and their interaction affect the timing and likelihood of first and second births in first unions using a competing risk design to account for the competing event of union dissolution.
Bibliography Citation
Nitsche, Natalie. "A Couple-Perspective on Fertility Outcomes: Do Relative Resources Matter for First and Second Births?" Presented: San Francisco CA, Population Association of America Meetings, May 2012.
6. Nitsche, Natalie
Examining Fertility from a Couple-Perspective: Do Relative Resources Matter for First and Second Births?
Presented: Stockholm, Sweden, European Population Conference (EPC), June 2012
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: European Association for Population Studies (EAPS)
Keyword(s): Births, Repeat / Spacing; Childbearing; Cross-national Analysis; Educational Attainment; First Birth; Gender Attitudes/Roles; German Family Survey; German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP); Income Level; Modeling, Fixed Effects; National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH)

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

McDonald (2000) has suggested that socio-economic gender equity within couples is a crucial component in women’s fertility decisions and that its investigation will contribute to understanding low fertility in the Western world today. Empirically, however, little is known about how couple dynamics are influencing fertility outcomes. This paper examines if gender equity, measured as relative levels of income, education, work hours, and occupational status, affects the transition to first and second births in the US and Germany. While studies have investigated the effect of the gendered division of household labor on birth transitions, I argue that it is problematic as an indicator of intra-couple gender equity because research has shown that the division of household labor is itself an outcome of relative resources in couples. Using the NLSY79, the NSFH, the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), and the German Family Survey, this paper will use event history and fixed effects models to understand how relative resources, absolute resources, and their interaction affect the timing and likelihood of first and second births in couples.
Bibliography Citation
Nitsche, Natalie. "Examining Fertility from a Couple-Perspective: Do Relative Resources Matter for First and Second Births?" Presented: Stockholm, Sweden, European Population Conference (EPC), June 2012.
7. Nitsche, Natalie
Fertility, Education, and Couple Dynamics: Three Essays on Childbearing Behavior in the United States and Germany
Ph.D. Dissertation, Yale University, 2014
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT)
Keyword(s): Births, Repeat / Spacing; Educational Attainment; Fertility; Gender Attitudes/Roles; Husbands; Socioeconomic Factors; Wives

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The third chapter uses the NLSY79 to investigate the relationship between relative socio-economic resources and birth hazards among married US couples. The data don't contain time use measures, which means that the division of housework could not been included. The models, however, control for gender role preferences of the wives. In this chapter, the analyses are set up in a competing risk framework, to allow for the competing risk of union dissolution. Similar to the results on Germany in chapter two, the findings show that relative education is significantly related to second birth hazards, with highly educated homogamous couples displaying higher second birth transition rates. Relative income and gendered work arrangements appear, in contrast, not to have any significant association with first or second birth hazards in this cohort of married US couples. The latter two chapters contribute new evidence to a young but growing literature that examines couple-level effects on fertility.
Bibliography Citation
Nitsche, Natalie. Fertility, Education, and Couple Dynamics: Three Essays on Childbearing Behavior in the United States and Germany. Ph.D. Dissertation, Yale University, 2014.
8. Nitsche, Natalie
Hayford, Sarah R.
Preferences, Partners, and Parenthood: Linking Early Fertility Desires, Marriage Timing, and Achieved Fertility
Demography published online (12 November 2020): DOI: 10.1007/s13524-020-00927-y.
Also: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13524-020-00927-y
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Age at First Marriage; Educational Attainment; Family Size; Fertility; Motherhood; Parenthood

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

In the United States, underachieving fertility desires is more common among women with higher levels of education and those who delay first marriage beyond their mid-20s. However, the relationship between these patterns, and particularly the degree to which marriage postponement explains lower fertility among the highly educated, is not well understood. We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort to analyze differences in parenthood and achieved parity for men and women, focusing on the role of marriage timing in achieving fertility goals over the life course. We expand on previous research by distinguishing between entry into parenthood and average parity among parents as pathways to underachieving, by considering variation in the impact of marriage timing by education and by stage of the life course, and by comparing results for men and women. We find that women with a bachelor's degree who desired three or more children are less likely to become mothers relative to women with the same desired family size who did not attend college. Conditional on becoming mothers, however, women with at least a bachelor's degree do not have lower completed family size. No comparable fatherhood difference by desired family size is present. Postponing marriage beyond age 30 is associated with lower proportions of parenthood but not with lower parity among parents. Age patterns are similar for women and men, pointing at social rather than biological factors driving the underachievement of fertility goals.
Bibliography Citation
Nitsche, Natalie and Sarah R. Hayford. "Preferences, Partners, and Parenthood: Linking Early Fertility Desires, Marriage Timing, and Achieved Fertility." Demography published online (12 November 2020): DOI: 10.1007/s13524-020-00927-y.
9. Nitsche, Natalie
Hayford, Sarah R.
Preferences, Partners, and Parenthood: Linking Early Fertility Desires, Union Formation Timing, and Achieved Fertility
Presented: Denver CO, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2018
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Age at First Birth; Age at First Marriage; Educational Attainment; Fertility; Gender Differences; Motherhood

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Our paper addresses education and gender differences in the realization of early-life fertility desires, focusing on the role of union formation timing in achieving fertility goals over the life course. In particular, we investigate the effect of first union-postponement on realizing higher parity fertility desires at age 43. While it is known that 'underachieving' occurs more often among the higher educated and among those who postpone first marriage and parenthood beyond age 25, it is not yet well understood how the effect of union formation timing on fertility may differ by desired number of children and educational attainment. Using data from the NLSY79, first findings indicate a delay of first marriage and lower incidences of motherhood among college educated women desiring three or more compared to those desiring two children. Also, among the college educated, marrying after age 30 is associated with a sharp decline in motherhood, but not fatherhood. Note: A similar paper was also presented at Philadelphia PA, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2018.
Bibliography Citation
Nitsche, Natalie and Sarah R. Hayford. "Preferences, Partners, and Parenthood: Linking Early Fertility Desires, Union Formation Timing, and Achieved Fertility." Presented: Denver CO, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2018.
10. Nitsche, Natalie
Hayford, Sarah R.
The Impact of Early Fertility Desires on Union Formation and Timing
Presented: Washington DC, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, March-April 2016
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Cohabitation; Family Formation; Fertility; Marriage

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

While it is well known that early fertility desires affect childbearing behavior, it is not yet understood whether these early preferences may also affect women's union formation behavior. Drawing on data from the NLSY79, our study extends the literature by investigating whether the desired number of children during early adulthood is linked to whether and when women form stable unions over the course of their lives. We furthermore investigate whether this preference-behavior relationship varies across educational attainment and may be one missing link to understanding educational differentials in family formation behavior. First findings indeed show a significant relationship between these early desires and subsequent marriage behavior. Women who desire to remain childless marry less often, and significantly later than their counterparts who desire to become mothers.
Bibliography Citation
Nitsche, Natalie and Sarah R. Hayford. "The Impact of Early Fertility Desires on Union Formation and Timing." Presented: Washington DC, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, March-April 2016.