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Modeling the Effects of Older Sibling’s Academic Growth on Younger Siblings
Academic Performance
Both the importance of education to a person’s life chances and the link between
family background and educational success are well documented (Blau and Duncan,
1967; Sewell, Haller, and Portes 1969, 1970; Sewell, Haller, and Ohlendorf 1970; Sewell
and Shah 1967; Jencks, Crouse, and Mueser 1983; Miller 1995; Duncan, Yeung, Brooks-
Gunn 1998; Roscigno and Ainsworth-Darnell 1999). Academic success and years of
schooling completed lead to better economic opportunities. Conversely, academic failure
and low levels of educational attainment are associated with unemployment, part-time
employment, low wages, and engaging in criminal behavior (Thornberry, Moore, and
Christenson 1985; Rumberger 1987, Ricketts and Sawhill 1988; Ross and Wu 1995).
However, there is not agreement on the mechanisms of family influences (Campbell
1983; Alwin and Thornton 1984). Furthermore, the influences that siblings have on one
another are even less clear (Jenks et al. 1979; Hauser and Wong 1989).
The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of how the family
influences academic performance. Our primary focus is the effects, which older male
siblings have on their younger siblings academic performance in the presence of other
family related variables. In developing our Younger Sibling at Academic Risk Model we
draw heavily from the following three social psychological paradigms: Status Attainment
(Wisconsin Model), Cultural Capital, and Social Learning.
Status Attainment Models
Blau and Duncan’s (1967) classic status-attainment model focused on the
relationship parent’s socioeconomic background affects individual’s education and in
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Convention