When Bigger Is Not Better: Family Size, Parental Resources, and Children's Educational Performance

Abstract

The relationship between participation in sports and academic achievement is examined by exploring both the factors that predict participation in different sports and the influence that participation in specific sports has on academic achievement. While previous studies analyzed the effects of participation in sports on achievement, little research has explored whether students who have fewer academic resources are more likely to play sports. Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey, this study considers whether cultural capital, household educational resources, family structure, and race are related to participation in football, basketball, or other sports and whether the effects of participation on several measures of academic achievement differ by race and sport. The findings suggest that cultural disadvantage contributes to an increased interest in and perhaps dependence on basketball and football as a means of social capital.

Theft and Deterrence

“…On the other hand, those who have two or more siblings have a higher propensity to steal in comparison to those who have one sibling or no siblings. This result is in line with a large literature in economics, sociology and demography which demonstrates the negative impact of family size on child outcomes (Blake 1991, Becker and Lewis 1973, Downey 1995, Caceres-Delpiano 2006. 12 In our final specifications we added an additional explanatory variable, the interaction term between the probability of getting caught and the fine to the specifications.…”

Behind the scenes: family involvement and educational achievements of second-generation Turks in Austria, France and Sweden

“…Table 6 shows that in all countries, the amount of support provided by older siblings increases with family size. Downey (1995) stated that the presence of siblings may be negatively related to parental involvement, and this has been proved in Table 2 as well. But the results presented here indicate that there seems to be a shift of responsibility towards older siblings when there is an increase in family size (see Table 6).…”

“…family size) seems to matter. The basic assumption is derived from the resource dilution theory (Downey, 1995(Downey, , 2001) that suggests that the presence of siblings may have a negative impact on parental involvement. Both aspects outlined here are highly relevant to immigrant families.…”

Tendências das desigualdades de acesso ao ensino superior no Brasil: 1982-2010

“…Esta dimensão indica a intensidade da interação entre estudantes e seus pais (DOWNEY, 1995). Estudantes que vivem com apenas um dos pais, e/ou em famílias com grande número de irmãos, têm desvantagens em suas chances de completar a transição.…”