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A dynamic macro social indicator model of changes in marriage, family, and population in the United States: 1947-1974

Publication ,  Journal Article
Land, KC; Felson, M
Published in: Social Science Research
January 1, 1977

This paper presents an integrated 21-equation model of how marriage, family, and population conditions, as indexed by macro social indicators, affect each other and are affected by other social, demographic, and economic forces. An opportunity structures theoretical paradigm is applied to the specification of dynamic structural equations for determining changes (both trends and cyclical fluctuations) in marriage formation and dissolution, family and household composition, fertility, mortality, population growth, and population distribution. The equations are estimated on annual national data for the United States during the post-World War II years 1947 to 1972, and then they are used to make conditional forecasts of the values of some of the endogenous variables for 1973 and 1974. It is found that the equations fit the observed data well, lack demonstrable autocorrelation of disturbances, and forecast the 1973 and 1974 values usually with less than 2% error. Strategies are sketched for further refining some of the equations, and it is suggested that this model should be integrated into a larger societal model in order to estimate some of the effects of changes in demographic phenomena on other social conditions. © 1977.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Social Science Research

DOI

ISSN

0049-089X

Publication Date

January 1, 1977

Volume

6

Issue

4

Start / End Page

328 / 362

Related Subject Headings

  • Sociology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Land, K. C., & Felson, M. (1977). A dynamic macro social indicator model of changes in marriage, family, and population in the United States: 1947-1974. Social Science Research, 6(4), 328–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/0049-089X(77)90015-1
Land, K. C., and M. Felson. “A dynamic macro social indicator model of changes in marriage, family, and population in the United States: 1947-1974.” Social Science Research 6, no. 4 (January 1, 1977): 328–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/0049-089X(77)90015-1.
Land, K. C., and M. Felson. “A dynamic macro social indicator model of changes in marriage, family, and population in the United States: 1947-1974.” Social Science Research, vol. 6, no. 4, Jan. 1977, pp. 328–62. Scopus, doi:10.1016/0049-089X(77)90015-1.
Journal cover image

Published In

Social Science Research

DOI

ISSN

0049-089X

Publication Date

January 1, 1977

Volume

6

Issue

4

Start / End Page

328 / 362

Related Subject Headings

  • Sociology