| dc.description.abstract | Understanding how family dynamics shape career and educational choices can provide valuable insights for individuals and policymakers, as well as offer further inquiry into tools that alter gender role attitudes. This thesis explores the effects of having a younger sister as opposed to a younger brother on the elder siblings educational and occupational choices through the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY79) and its subsequent Child and Young Adult datasets. The study applies linear regression models, a year fixed effects model, and an interaction model to explore such effect. The analysis reveals that having a younger sister does not significantly affect educational attainment or occupational choices. Instead, socio-economic factors such as household income and maternal education play a more pivotal role. On the other hand, elder siblings with only sisters are slightly less likely to have no degree and more likely to complete high school, both with a significance level of 10%, nonetheless, a significant gender imbalance within the groups in focus suggests a potential gender selection bias that could significantly undervalue the validity of such result. While the results for elder sibling males and females entering gender dominated jobs suggest potential gender specific effects, these results were not statistically significant. The study also explores income and job stability, finding that having a younger sister does not significantly impact earnings or joblessness. Interestingly, the effect of having a younger sister and opting into a female dominated job indicate a potential increase in compensation received when entering a female dominated job, possibly mediated through enhanced social skills, albeit these results were not significant as well. | |
