Does
Children's School Attainment Benefit
from Parental Access to Social Capital?
Sandra
L. Hofferth, Johanne Boisjoly, and Greg J. Duncan
Abstract
What is the relationship between parental access to
time and money help from friends and relatives, and children's completed
years of schooling? We utilize a study of 908 black and white boys
and girls observed first in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics between
the ages of 11 and 16 and again at age 22. When sociodemographic
variables are controlled, access to time or money help from parental
friends, but not relatives, is significantly associated with the
total number of years of schooling they complete. children from
high-income families benefit more from such access than those from
low-income families. Having moved is not detrimental to the college
attendance of children from high-income families but is detrimental
to the college attendance of children from low-income families.
The findings suggest that the reason for the impact of access to
help from friends on completed shcooling is the potential assistance
for attending college.
Sandra L. Hofferth, Institute
for Social Research, University of Michigan Johanne Boisjoly, Department of Sociology, University
of Quebec at Rimouski Greg J. Duncan, School of Education and Social
Policy, Northwestern Univeristy
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