Working papers

This CLS working paper details the design, development and conduct of a new round of data collection for the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). The data collections took place in 1999-2000.

Heather Joshi, Elizabeth Cooksey, Lynda Clarke, Dick Wiggins and Andrew McCulloch use national data from both Great Britain (NCDS 1958 birth cohort) and the United States to examine the relationship between children’s family history and their educational and behavioural development. They use a multivariate, multi-level modelling strategy to estimate heterogeneity both within and between families.  Their results show that associations between family living situations and children’s well-being appear to be mediated by levels of human, financial and social capital available to children. Contrary to expectations, they found no evidence that children with non-traditional family living experiences are any more likely to be negatively impacted in Britain than across the Atlantic where diverse living arrangements are more widespread.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, child development, childhood well-being, living arrangement, multi-level modelling

Elsa Ferri and Kate Smith identify a group of NCDS (1958 cohort) members who had separated from a partner who was the other parent of their children, and investigate the circumstances and aftermath of the relationship breakdown.  They also look at parents in ‘intact’ families whose relationship with their partner appeared to be in difficulty.   The outcome of childhood developmental problems is tested.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, family breakdown, separation, lone parenthood, family conflict, child development.

John Bynner, Dick Wiggins and Samantha Parson test competing hypotheses about the role of qualifications as opposed to personal agency in labour market entry at times of economic stress.  This is demonstrated by a comparative analysis involving data collected in the 1970 and 1958 cohorts. Using regression models the findings demonstrate, in line with human capital theory, that at times of economic stress, the part of personal agency concerned with individual skills and psychological well-being, over and above educational qualifications, does appear to provide a measure of protection against unemployment in the transition from education to work. An analysis is included in which the NCDS data are re-weighted to take attrition into account. The paper also includes an examination of some of the design requirements for data collection in cohort studies on participation in education and the labour market, across the period of transition from childhood to adulthood.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, BCS70, 1970 birth cohort, fieldwork methodology, survey design, labour market, qualifications.

Scott Montgomery, Mel Bartley and Richard Wilkinson observe associations between small stature at 7 years (lowest quintile) in the NCDS 1958 birth cohort study, and family conflict in early life, controlling for overcrowding, social class,  sex and genetically pre-determined height.    After adjustment, family conflict was significantly associated with slow growth, and overcrowding also had an independent effect.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, childhood adversity, slow growth, family conflict, social class, overcrowding, height.

David R. Jones and Philip Sedgwick look at earlier-life factors predicting  accidents between 16-23 in the NCDS 1958 cohort.  They report gender differences and also the propensity for thoe who reported more accidents between 11-16 to have a higher probability of an accident between 16-23.  There is a discussion of the hypothesis of ‘accident-proneness.’

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, young adult, accident, accident-prone.

David R. Jones and Philip Sedgwick look at 11,009 accidents leasing to hospitalisation bewtween ages 16 and 23 in the NCDS 1958 cohort.  They report gender differences, with female accidents being more likely to happen at home and males at work.  Other life events are explored for associations, such as death of father/mother, termination of marriage, death of child, miscarriage/abortion, termiantoin of job and periods of unemplyemnt.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, young adult, accident, unemployment, bereavement, divorce, separation.

John Bynner finds a gender-divide in the ability to utilise skills in the workplace, with women either being kept out of the labour market by childcare repsonsibilities, or else they enter jobs where the skills they have tend not to be used to the same extent as men’s.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, skills, gender differences, employment, childbearing.

John Bynner, Leslie Morphy and Sam Parsons explore the gender-gap in employment opportunities, showing there is strong evidence that for every work-related skill that women say they are good at, those with children are less likely to be using them in employment than men, regardless of whether they have had children and regardless of whether they have basic skills difficulties.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, basic skills, gender differences, employment, childbearing.

John Bynner, U. Ukoumunne and Dick Wiggins use structural equation modelling to show that the main influences on political cynicism come fro performance in the educational system, originating early in life and reinforced by subsequent achievements up to age 16.   Participation in youth culture was the only other factor shown to have a significant effect.

Keywords: 1958 birth cohort, NCDS, National Child Development Study, voting, politics, cynicism, childhood, structural equation modelling, SEM, youth culture, education.