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Abstract:
Changes of household composition are usually a result of complicated interplay of multiple factors. Among many changes of household composition over the life course, some household compositional changes may be particularly associated with special needs, such as childcare. As childcare is usually arranged informally in Taiwan, this study investigates whether household extension could be a way of obtaining childcare support from relatives. Using data from the Taiwan Social Change Survey, this study aims to reinvestigate the determinants of household composition from the perspective of childcare arrangements. Research results show that after holding mothers’ employment status, demographic and household-context variables constant, the presence of children under age 3 is still significantly associated with household composition. The finding supports the argument that people with young children are more likely to co-reside with elderly parents or extended kin. Although the causal relationship between having childcare needs and living in stem and extended households could not be established, this study provides empirical evidence of the association between childcare needs and household composition.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Yaojun Li and Angela Dale for providing their valuable comments and suggestions at the early stage of this study, and Chingli Yang for her expert guidance on household type classification. I am also grateful to the Taiwan Social Change Survey Data team for providing access to the TSCS data.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Yung-Han Chang
Yung-Han Chang received her Ph.D. from the Institute for Social Change at the University of Manchester. Her main interests include family sociology, childcare arrangements, and housing pathways of young people. In 2012 she joined the faculty of the University of Kang Ning in Taiwan as an assistant professor in the Department of Healthcare Management.