Demographic Techniques: Family Reconstitution

Campbell, Cameron Dougall

doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-097086-8.31012-1

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, this generally requires applying family reconstitution techniques. It is well known that this method involves the longitudinal construction of individual life histories using records of demographic life-course events (such as baptisms, burials and marriages) [30,31]. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to implement this technique.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sibship Size, Height and Cohort Selection: A Methodological Approach

Ramón-Muñoz

Ramon-Muñoz

Candela-Martínez

2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article deals with the historical relationship between the number of siblings in a family or household and height, a proxy for biological living standards. Ideally, this relationship is better assessed when we have evidence on the exact number of siblings in a family from its constitution onwards. However, this generally requires applying family reconstitution techniques, which, unfortunately, is not always possible. In this latter case, scholars must generally settle for considering only particular benchmark years using population censuses, from which family and household structures are derived. These data are then linked to the height data for the young males of the family or household. Height data are generally obtained from military records. In this matching process, several decisions have to be taken, which, in turn, are determined by source availability and the number of available observations. Using data from late 19th-century Catalonia, we explore whether the methodology used in matching population censuses and military records as described above might affect the relationship between sibship size and biological living standards and, if so, to what extent. We conclude that, while contextual factors cannot be neglected, the methodological decisions made in the initial steps of research also play a role in assessing this relationship.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sibship Size, Height and Cohort Selection: A Methodological Approach

Ramón-Muñoz

Ramon-Muñoz

Candela-Martínez

2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Names, ages, birthplaces, and other personal characteristics in these sources are used to link life-course events, such as marriage or migration, to individuals (lifecourse reconstruction), and to link individuals to each other into family networks (family reconstruction). Together, life-course and family reconstructions form the basis of the practice known as family reconstitution, which is the process of reconstructing historical data on family membership and the events occurring to these family members during the course of their lives (Campbell 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Families in comparison: An individual-level comparison of life-course and family reconstructions between population and vital event registers

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It remains unknown how different types of sources affect the reconstruction of life courses and families in large-scale databases increasingly common in demographic research. Here, we compare family and lifecourse reconstructions for 495 individuals simultaneously present in two well-known Dutch data sets: LINKS, based on the Zeeland province's full-population vital event registration data (passive registration), and the Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN), based on a national sample of birth certificates, with follow-up of individuals in population registers (active registration). We compare indicators of fertility, marriage, mortality, and occupational status, and conclude that reconstructions in the HSN and LINKS reflect each other well: LINKS provides more complete information on siblings and parents, whereas the HSN provides more complete life-course information. We conclude that life-course and family reconstructions based on linked passive registration of individuals constitute a reliable alternative to reconstructions based on active registration, if case selection is carefully considered.

show abstract