Description

MOMRULE_HIST reports why the IPUMS variable MOMLOC linked the person to a probable mother prior to 1970. The IPUMS establishes mother-child links according to seven basic rules, and MOMRULE_HIST reports the number of the rule for the link in question. If a link could be made according to more than one rule, the lowest-numbered rule was applied. See also MOMLOC, STEPMOM, "Family Interrelationships", and New IPUMS Family Interrelationship Variables for more information.

The following codes are included in MOMRULE_HIST:

0 = No mother of this person present in the household.

1 = Unambiguous relationship, based upon relationships to the head of household as listed on the form (see RELATE), or based on imputed relationship (IMPREL) for 1850-1870. This covers three basic cases:

• a) a person listed as a son or daughter is linked to a person listed as wife/spouse or female head.
• b) a person listed as head, brother, or sister is linked to a person listed as mother.
• c) a person listed as wife, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law is linked to a person listed as mother-in-law.

2 = Persons listed as grandchildren are linked to the most proximate preceding (on the form) ever-married daughter, unmarried daughter (if immediately followed by a grandchild), or daughter-in-law of the head, if the daughter/daughter-in-law is 11-59 years older than the grandchild. If no link is formed with a preceding female, the program looks for the most proximate subsequent female who satisfies the same criteria.

3 = Other persons are linked to any preceding ever-married female who is 15-49 years older, so long as:

• a) the two persons have listed (or imputed, for 1850-1870) relationships to the head that, when compared with one another, make a child-mother link plausible,
• b) there are no persons listed between the potential child and mother, except the potential mother's other children or husband, and

4 = Same as rule 3, but surname similarity overrides part b of rule 3. If more than one potential mother is found in this way, the most proximate preceding female is linked. This rule can be applied only to samples with surname codes: 1850 to 1950.

5 = Same as rule 2, except evidence on children-ever-born (or children surviving for 1900 and 1910) overrides the potential mother's lack of "ever-married" status. This rule can be applied only to samples with children-ever-born or children surviving information: the 1900, 1910 (U.S. and Puerto Rican), and 1960.

6 = Same as rule 3, except evidence on children-ever-born (or children surviving for 1900 and 1910) overrides the potential mother's lack of "ever-married" status. Like rule 5, this rule can be applied only to the 1900, 1910 (U.S. and Puerto Rican), and 1960.

7= If the child is already linked to a father (see POPLOC and POPRULE), and that father has a wife present in the household who has not been linked to the child by another rule, the wife is linked to the child as a stepmother, regardless of the age gap between child and the stepmother.

The IPUMS performs the following consistency checks:

• If a husband and wife were both linked to the same mother, the IPUMS chose the best mother link based on detailed relationship, surname, and proximity within the household, as listed on the form.
• If both parents were present but they were not married to each other, the IPUMS unlinked the mother if her surname did not match that of the child. For years that lack surname (the 1960 Censuses), the least proximate parent was unlinked (i.e., was presumed not to be the biological parent).

Comparability

For 1850-1870, relationships to the household head are imputed (using IMPREL), rather than based on RELATE. Because of variation in the information available for linking (e.g., surname, detail on relationship to household head), there are slight differences across years. To limit analysis to links that could be made for all years, exclude cases for which MOMRULE_HIST is greater than 3. (Few links were made using other rules; over 95 percent of the links were made using rule 1.)

In years without SURSIM (1960 Census) MOMLOC is not available for persons whose relationship to the head (see RELATE) is unspecified other relative or nonrelative if they are age 19 or older. In years with SURSIM (prior to 1960), all appropriate links are made for all unspecified relatives and nonrelatives regardless of age. These links are all made based on rules greater than 3.

Universe

Availability

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• 1970: --
• 1960: All samples
• 1950: All samples
• 1940: All samples
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples
• 1900: All samples
• 1880: All samples
• 1870: All samples
• 1860: All samples
• 1850: All samples

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• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples

Flags

Editing Procedure

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.