Does Family Composition Affect Social Networking?

26 Pages Posted: 3 Mar 2012

See all articles by Odelia Heizler-Cohen

Odelia Heizler-Cohen

Hebrew University of Jerusalem; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Ayal Kimhi

Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Department of Environmental Economics & Management; Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment; Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effect of family composition, and in particular the number of children, the age gap between the oldest and youngest child and the age of the youngest child, on parents' involvement in social networks. The predictions of a simple theoretical model are confirmed by an empirical analysis of Israeli Social Survey data for 2002-2006. The number of children has a U -shaped effect on parents' involvement in social networks, with substantial differences between fathers and mothers. The negative effect is dominant on the mothers' involvement in social networks, while the positive effect is dominant on the father's involvement in social networks. The age gap between children has a positive effect on both parents' involvement in social networks, while the age of the youngest child has a positive effect on the father's involvement in social networks. These results imply that social network considerations might be important for fertility decisions.

Keywords: social networks, family composition, children

JEL Classification: J12, J13, D85

Suggested Citation

Heizler-Cohen, Odelia and Kimhi, Ayal, Does Family Composition Affect Social Networking?. IZA Discussion Paper No. 6380, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2015196 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2015196

Odelia Heizler-Cohen (Contact Author)

Hebrew University of Jerusalem ( email )

Mount Scopus
Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905
Israel

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Ayal Kimhi

Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Department of Environmental Economics & Management ( email )

Rehovot, 76100
Israel

HOME PAGE: http://departments.agri.huji.ac.il/economics/kimhi.html

Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment ( email )

Jerusalem
Israel

Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research ( email )

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