Work

Does Adolescent Family Structure Predict Military Enlistment? A Comparison of Post–High School Activities

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: This paper investigates the link between adolescent family structure and the likelihood of military enlistment in young adulthood, as compared to alternative post-high school activities. We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and multinomial logistic regression analyses to compare the odds of military enlistment with college attendance or labor force involvement. We find that alternative family structures predict enlistment relative to college attendance. Living in a single-parent household during adolescence increased odds of military enlistment, but the effect is accounted for by socioeconomic status and early feelings of social isolation. Living with a stepparent or with neither biological parent more than doubles the odds of enlistment, independent of socioeconomic status, characteristics of parent-child relationships, or feelings of social isolation. Although college attendance is widely promoted as a valued post-high school activity, military service may offer a route to independence and a greater sense of belonging.

Source: Journal of Family Issues

DOI: 10.1177/0192513x12457347

Authors: Naomi J. Spence, Kathryn A. Henderson, Glen H. Elder

Institutions: Lehman College, City University of New York, Westat (United States), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Language: English

Topic: Family Dynamics and Relationships

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green