Zachary Neal
In the past, my research has examined urban networks, political polarization, and program implementation. However, my current research is focused primarily on two topics: network backbones and childfree individuals.
In some cases, networks are so dense or complex that their underlying structure is hidden. A network backbone is a simplified version that retains only the most important or statistically significant connections, and can make the network easier to visualize and analyze. My research on network backbones involves developing methods for identifying these important connections, and implementing these methods in software, like the R Backbone package.
Childfree individuals are people who do not have children, and who do not want to have children in the future. They are different from people who are undecided about having children, or from childless people who could not have children but wanted to. My research on childfree individuals has examined methods of identifying them in large-scale demographic data, tracking their prevalence in the US and globally, and understanding the stereotypes and stigmas they encounter.
Session
Childfree adults do not have or want children. Although they often experience social stigma and are subject to negative stereotypes, few studies have directly examined childfree adults' social networks. In this study, we examine whether childfree adults' networks of close relationships differ in size and composition from those of parents. Using representative egocentric network data in the United States from the CHIP50-NET survey, we tested three pre-registered hypotheses regarding the size and composition of 2,928 childfree adults' and 12,863 parents' networks. Compared to parents, childfree adults had significantly smaller networks, especially in middle age. Additionally, on average, a minority (44%) of childfree adults' close relationships were with parents, while a majority (62%) of parents' close relationships were with other parents. The differences between childfree adults and parents in network size and composition are modest, but call for further research on this gap's implications for childfree adults' well-being and risk of lower social support.