Population Dynamics and Family Change
Scientists in the SPE program conduct research on all population dynamics, including fertility, mortality, migration, and many different dimensions of family change, including marriage, childbearing, divorce, cohabitation, sexuality, family planning, health and wellbeing.

Key Projects

Understanding the Connections among Genes, Environment, Family Processes, and Mental Health
R01 MH110872.   NIH/NIMH.   2017-2021.   $3,108,183.
Key Personnel: William G. Axinn, Co-PI, Jordan W. Smoller, Co-PI, Dirgha J. Ghimire, Co-I, Colter Mitchell, Co-I.

Transition to Adulthood within its Life Course & Intergenerational Family Context (R01 Project 2)
P01 HD087155.   NIH/NICHD.   2016-2021.   $7,859,059.
Key Personnel: Narayan Sastry, P01 PI, William G. Axinn, R01 PI, Deirdre Bloome, Co-I, Pamela Davis-Keane, Co-I, Paula Fomby, Co-I.

Family Migration Context and Early Life Outcomes
P01 HD080659.   NIH/NICHD.   2015-2020.   $3,947,000.
Key Personnel: Jennifer E. Glick, P01 PI (PSU), Dirgha J. Ghimire, MI Subcontract PI.

National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)
200-2010-33976.   CDC.   2010-2020.   $40,058,256.
Key Personnel: Mick P. Couper, Project Director, William G. Axinn, Deputy Project Director.

Female Labor Force Participation and Child Outcomes
R03 HD086301.   NIH/NICHD.   2016-2018.   $171,627.
Key Personnel: Dirgha J. Ghimire, Co-PI, Sarah R. Brauner-Otto, Co-PI, Sarah Baird, Co-I.

New Data Dissemination for Comparative Population Science
R03 HD092516.   NIH/NICHD.   2017-2019.   $155,583.
Key Personnel: William G. Axinn, PI, Dirgha J. Ghimire, Co-I.

University of Michigan Campus Climate Survey
University of Michigan.   2014-2015.   $22,458.
Key Personnel: William G. Axinn, PI, Mick P. Couper, Co-I, James Wagner, Co-I, Zeina Mneimneh, Co-I.

Key Recent Publications

  1. Brauner-Otto, S. R., W. G. Axinn, and D. J. Ghimire. 2020. Parents’ Marital Quality and Children’s Transition to Adulthood. Demography. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-019-00851-w

  2. Acharya Y, Dirgha J Ghimire, Prem Bhandari, Ramesh Ghimire, and Andrew D. Jones. 2019. “Household Migration and Children’s Diet: An Exploratory Study.” BMC Research Notes 12, Article number: 390.

  3. Brauner-Otto, Sarah, Sarah Baird, and Dirgha Ghimire. 2019. “Maternal Employment and Child Health in Nepal: The Importance of Job Type and Timing across the Child’s First Five Years.” Social Science and Medicine 224:94-105. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.02.009. PMCID: PMC6532054.

  4. Compernolle, Ellen, and William G. Axinn. Forthcoming. “Mass Education, International Travel, and Ideal Ages at Marriage.” Demography

  5. Ghimire, Dirgha J., Nathalie E. Williams, Arland Thornton, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Prem B. Bhandari. 2019. “Strategies for Origin-based Surveying of International Migrants.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 45(7):1185-1206. DOI. PMC6481943.

  6. Thornton, Arland, Dirgha J. Ghimire, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Prem B. Bhandari. 2019. “The Reliability and Stability of Measures about Individual’s Values and Beliefs Concerning Development Idealism in Nepal.” Sociology of Development 5(3):314-336. DOI.

  7. Axinn, William G., Maura E. Bardos, and Brady T. West. 2018. “General Population Estimates of the Association between College Experience and the Odds of Forced Intercourse.” Social Science Research 70:131-143. DOI.

  8. Smith-Greenaway, Emily, Sarah R. Brauner-Otto, and William G. Axinn. 2018. “Offspring Education and Parental Mortality: Evidence from South Asia.” Social Science Research 76:157-168. DOI. PMC6408726.

  9. Williams, Nathalie E., Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Karen A. Snedker. 2018. “Fear of Violence during Armed Conflict: Social Roles and Responsibilities as Determinants of Fear.” Social Science Research 71:145-159. DOI. PMC5846491.

  10. Allendorf, Keera, Arland Thornton, Colter Mitchell, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2017. “Early Women, Late Men: Timing Attitudes and Gender Differences in Marriage.” Journal of Marriage and Family 79(5):1478-1496. DOI. PMC5679473.

  11. Axinn, William G., Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Emily Smith-Greenaway. 2017. “Emotional Variation and Fertility Behavior.” Demography 54(2):437-458. DOI. PMC5426117.

  12. Jennings, Elyse A. 2017. “Family Composition and Marital Dissolution in Rural Nepal, 1945-2008.” Population Studies 71(2):229-248. DOI. PMC5448290.

  13. Pearlman, Jessica, Lisa D. Pearce, Dirgha J. Ghimire, Prem B. Bhandari, and Taylor Hargrove. 2017. “Postmarital Living Arrangements in Historically Patrilocal Settings: Integrating Household Fission and Migration Perspectives.” Demography 54:1425-1449. DOI. PMC5856169.

  14. Bhandari, Prem B., and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2016. “Rural Agricultural Change and Individual Out-migration.” Rural Sociology 81(4):572-600. DOI. PMC5220587.

  15. Ghimire, Dirgha J. 2016. “Social Context of First Birth Timing in a Rapidly Changing Rural Setting.” Social Science Research 61:314-329. DOI. PMC5125526.

  16. Axinn, William G. 2015. “Demographic Change: The Case of Chitwan Valley in Nepal.” International Journal of Sociology 45(1):1-3. DOI.

  17. Compernolle, Ellen. 2015. “Changing Attitudes Toward Care of Aging Parents: The Influence of Education, International Travel, and Gender.” International Journal of Sociology 45(1):64-83. DOI. PMC4389642.

  18. Ghimire, Dirgha J. 2015. “Wives’ and Husbands’ Nonfamily Experiences and First-Birth Timing.” International Journal of Sociology 45(1):4-23. DOI. PMC4587386.

  19. Ghimire, Dirgha J., William G. Axinn, and Emily Smith-Greenaway. 2015. “Impact of the Spread of Mass Education on Married Women’s Experience with Domestic Violence.” Social Science Research 54:319-331. DOI. PMC4607934.

  20. Jennings, Elyse A. 2014. “Marital Discord and Subsequent Dissolution: Perceptions of Nepalese Wives and Husbands.” Journal of Marriage and Family 76(3):476-488. DOI. PMC4251804.

  21. Allendorf, Keera, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2013. “Determinants of Marital Quality in an Arranged Marriage Society.” Social Science Research 42(1):59-70. DOI. PMC3711098.

  22. Bhandari, Prem B. 2013. “Rural Livelihood Change? Household Capital, Community Resources and Livelihood Transition.” Rural Studies 32:126-136. DOI. PMC3772533.

  23. Bhandari, Prem B., and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2013. “Rural Agricultural Change and Fertility Transition in Nepal.” Rural Sociology 78(2):229-252. DOI. PMC5220587.

  24. Brauner-Otto, Sarah R. 2013. “Attitudes about Children and Fertility Limitation Behavior.” Population Research and Policy Review 32(1):1-24. DOI. PMC3671613.

  25. Ghimire, Dirgha J., and William G. Axinn. 2013. “Marital Processes, Arranged Marriage, and Contraception to Limit Fertility.” Demography 50:1663-1686. DOI. PMC3786027.

  26. Jennings, Elyse A., and Jennifer S. Barber. 2013. “The Influence of Neighbors’ Family Size Preference on Progression to High Parity Births in Rural Nepal.” Studies in Family Planning 44(1):67-84. DOI. PMC3621985.

  27. Jennings, Elyse A., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2012. “The Effect of Parents’ Attitudes on Sons’ Marriage Timing.” American Sociological Review 77(6):923-945. DOI. PMC3590910.

  28. Thornton, Arland, Georgina Binstock, Kathryn M. Yount, Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Yu Xie. 2012. “International Fertility Change: New Data and Insights from the Developmental Idealism Framework.” Demography 49(2):677-698. DOI. PMC3328099.

  29. Williams, Nathalie E., Dirgha J. Ghimire, William G. Axinn, Elyse A. Jennings, and Meeta S. Pradhan. 2012. “A Micro-Level Event-Centered Approach to Investigating Armed Conflict and Population Responses.” Demography 49(4):1521-1546. DOI. PMC3495997.

  30. Axinn, William G., and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2011. “Social Organization, Population, and Land Use.” American Journal of Sociology 117(1):209-258. DOI. PMC3162250.

  31. Williams, Nathalie E., Arland Thornton, Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Linda Young-DeMarco. 2011. “Nepali Migrants to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: Values, Behaviors, and Plans.” Pp. 155-185 in Migrant Labour in the Persian Gulf, edited by M. Kamrava and Z. Babar. New York: Columbia University Press.

  32. Massey, Douglas S., Nathalie E. Williams, William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2010. “Community Services and Out-Migration.” International Migration 48(3):1-41. DOI. PMC3146299.

  33. Axinn, William G., Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Jennifer S. Barber. 2008. “The Influence of Ideational Dimensions of Social Change on Family Formation in Nepal.” Pp. 251-280 in International Family Change: Ideational Perspectives, edited by R. Jayakody, A. Thornton, and W.G. Axinn. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  34. Thornton, Arland, Georgina Binstock, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2008. “International Dissemination of Ideas about Development and Family Change.” Pp. 19-44 in International Family Change: Ideational Perspectives, edited by R. Jayakody, A. Thornton, and W.G. Axinn. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  35. Brauner-Otto, Sarah R., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2007. “The Spread of Health Services and Fertility Transition.” Demography 44(4):747-770. DOI.

  36. Ghimire, Dirgha J., and William G. Axinn. 2006. “Family Change in Nepal: Evidence from Western Chitwan.” Contributions to Nepalese Studies 33(2):177-201.

  37. Ghimire, Dirgha J., William G. Axinn, Scott T. Yabiku, and Arland Thornton. 2006. “Social Change, Premarital Nonfamily Experience, and Spouse Choice in an Arranged Marriage Society.” American Journal of Sociology 111(4):1181-1218. DOI.

  38. Ghimire, Dirgha J., and Paul Mohai. 2005. “Environmentalism and Contraceptive Use: How People in Less Developed Settings Approach Environmental Issues.” Population and Environment 27(1):29-61. DOI.

  39. Barber, Jennifer S., and William G. Axinn. 2004. “New Ideas and Fertility Limitation: The Role of Mass Media.” Journal of Marriage and Family 66:1180-1200. DOI.

  40. Bhandari, Prem B. 2004. “Relative Deprivation and Migration in an Agricultural Setting of Nepal.” Population and Environment 25(5):475-499. DOI.

  41. Hoelter, Lynette F., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2004. “Social Change, Premarital Non-Family Experiences, and Marital Dynamics.” Journal of Marriage and Family 66:1131-1151. DOI.

  42. Barber, Jennifer S., Lisa D. Pearce, Indra Chaudhary, and Susan Gurung. 2002. “Voluntary Associations and Fertility Limitation.” Social Forces 80(4):1369-1401. DOI.

  43. Axinn, William G., and Jennifer S. Barber. 2001. “Mass Education and Fertility Transition.” American Sociological Review 66(4):481-505. DOI.

  44. Pienta, Amy Mehraban, Jennifer S. Barber, and William G. Axinn. 2001. “Social Change and Adult Children’s Attitudes toward Support of Elderly Parents: Evidence from Nepal.” Hallym International Journal of Aging 3(2):211-235.