Adolescent childbearing, poverty, and siblings: Taking new direction from the new literature

This article critically appraises the sibling-comparison method by pointing to the following limitations: (1) it assumes within-family homogeneity; (2 ) it neglects naturally occurring heterogeneity across siblings; (3) it ove rlooks the unique effects of a teen's childbearing for her family and sibli ngs; (4) it underappreciates the selectivity of sisters of teenage mothers who delay childbearing; and (5) it ignores differences in outcomes by siste rs' birth order and age spacing. Directions for future research stemming fr om this new literature are discussed.