Correlations between Frequencies of Kin

Pullum, T. & Wolf, D.A. (1989). Correlations between Frequencies of Kin. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-89-053

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Abstract

In recent years there has developed considerable interest in the demography of kin, including the development of formal and microsimulation models of the structure and dynamics of kin networks. One issue arising in the study of kin is the reconciliation of the assumption of uncorrelated fertility within and across generations, with the finding in several actual data sets of positive correlations between frequencies of various categories of kin. This paper brings together formal models, microsimulation models, and actual data in an effort to answer questions about such correlations of kin. We first show that even with uncorrelated fertility of mothers and daughters, correlations between certain kin frequencies will arise, and provide simple expressions for the correlation which depend only on the net reproduction rate. We then consider alternative mechanisms by which fertility might be transmitted from mothers to their daughters, and illustrate the correlations achieved by various such mechanisms. Finally, we present data from several surveys which reveal substantial correlations between various kin counts. These correlations are consistent with intergenerational transmission of fertility patterns.

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