Longitudinal analyses of mortality reveals protective effects of adoption in historical Taiwan, Siobhán Mattison (CSSS Seminar, 5/15/2019)
Posted: 5/13/2019 (Local Events)
Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, https://www.hfedlab.com/
Abstract
Adoption has been hypothesized to increase the risk of mortality for children reared by non-relatives. Yet the sociological and economic contexts shaping decision-making around adoption are critical to understanding associated costs and benefits to adoptive parents. In this talk, I describe the association between adoption and mortality using data drawn from household registers in Taiwan from 1895-1945. In contrast to previous results focused on binary associations, our event history analyses suggest that adopted girls experienced lower or equivalent mortality compared to biological children being raised by their parents. Furthermore, we explore the risk of mortality for girls who were adopted as “little daughters-in-law” (ADIL) to serve as brides for co-resident boys and for girls adopted for any other reason (AD). In this more finely resolved analyses, we confirm that adopted girls experience lower mortality than their biological counterparts, but find that ADIL experience relatively higher mortality than AD. We interpret these findings in light of evolutionary theory addressing the possible costs and benefits of adoption in historical Taiwan.
About the Series
The weekly Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences (CSSS) seminar provides a forum for local and visiting scholars to present current research at the interface of statistics and the social sciences. Talks range in their level of technical detail and substantive motivation, and often result in spirited discussion. During the Winter and Spring 2019 quarters, we are celebrating CSSS’s 20th anniversary, with many speakers drawn from the population of past CSSS students. Current students may receive credit for attending the seminar by enrolling in CS&SS 590. All seminars are held at 12:30 on Wednesdays in Savery (SAV) 409 unless otherwise noted, and we will aim to conclude by 1:30. We provide coffee and light refreshments; attendees are also welcome to bring their lunch. For information or questions about the CSSS Seminars, please contact our Seminar Organizer, Will Brown (brownw@uw.edu). You can receive updates via a mailing list or calendar.
Date: 05/15/2019
Time: 12:30–1:30 PM
Location: Savery (SAV) 409