Parenthood and social networks : A preliminary view

Data from several samples in the United States and England are drawn upon to examine how and to what extent the social networks of parents differ from those of men and women without children. The social contact patterns found to be associated with parenthood involve (1) a shift in the composition of the networks, and especially an increased emphasis on kin connections; (2) a shift in the frequency with which people are seen; and (3) an absolute reduction in network size for non-working mothers in the lowest social class. The paper briefly considers the health-related implications of these network differences, with special reference to several recent studies that have found exceptionally high rates of depression among women with young children.