Professor Wendy Sigle

Professor Wendy Sigle

Professor of Gender and Family Studies

Department of Gender Studies

Telephone
+44 (0)20 7955 6024
Room No
PAN.11.01
Office Hours
Book via Student Hub
Languages
English
Key Expertise
Feminist quantitative research; stratification; family and social policy

About me

Wendy is on Sabbatical Leave in 2024-25.

Wendy Sigle is Professor of Gender and Family Studies at the Department of Gender Studies and has worked on a variety of issues related to families and family policy in historical and contemporary societies.

Drawing on my training in economics and demography, my research brings a feminist critical perspective to the way micro-level quantitative methods are applied and how quantitative evidence is, often problematically, interpreted and used to inform policy.    One strand of my research explores and evaluates the assumptions researchers often make when analysing  secondary survey data or data drawn from official government records.   This work explores the ways that a strong reliance on particular quantitative methods, the emphasis on causal inference, and the use and interpretation of demographic indicators such as age, ethnicity, nativity, and relationship status can exacerbate the marginalization of minority groups.    A second strand of my research focuses on the validity of indicators of development or policy success.   For example, how and with what effect are concepts like reproductive health or gender equality operationalized and used to depict success or “progress” cross-nationally or over time?   I would be interested in supervising PhD students who are interested in conducting research that explores these or similar issues.

Member of the PhD Supervisory team of Zuzana Dancikova, Ross Barker (Methodology) and Sopie Legros (International Development). 

 

Expertise Details

Feminist family studies; comparative policy analysis; critical quantitative methods; complex inequalities; feminist micro-economics; feminist population studies.

Publications

2022

Like high cholesterol, population decline is a problem, but not in the way you might think ...Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, 21. 

2021

Sigle, W. Reid, A. and Sear, R. 75 Years of Population Studies: A Diamond Anniversary Special Issue. Population Studies, 75(sup1), 1-5.

Sigle, W. Demography’s Theory and Approach:(How) Has the View from the Margins Changed?. Population Studies, 75(sup1), 235-251.

Sigle, W., & Kravdal, Ø. With Age Comes…? An Examination of Gendered Differences in the Resource Advantages Associated with Parental Age in Norway. Comparative Population Studies, 46.

2019

Sigle, W. and Goisis, A. “Mind the Gap: The Health Advantages that Accompany Parental Marriage Vary by Maternal Nativity”, Population Studies, 73(3): 369-86.

Goisis, A., Martinson, M., & Sigle, W. “When Richer Doesn't Mean Thinner: Ethnicity, Socio-Economic Position and The Risk of Child Obesity in the U.K.” Demographic Research, 41(23): 649-678.

2018

MacMillon, R., Shofa, N. & Sigle, W. “Gender and the Politics of Death: Female Representation, Political and Developmental Context, and Population Health in A Cross-National Panel.” Demography, 55: 1905-1934.

Marczak, J., Sigle, W. & Coast, E. “When the Grass is Greener: Fertility Decisions in A Cross-National Context,” Population Studies, 72: 202-216.

2016

Marczak, Joanna and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Coast, Ernestina (2016) Cross-national comparisons: a missing link in the relationship between policies and fertility? A comparative study of fertility decision making of Polish nationals in Poland and UK. In: European Population Conference, 31 August - 03 September 2016, Mainz, Germany

Goisis, Alice and Özcan, Berkay and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2016) Child outcomes after parental separation: variations by contact and court involvement Ministry of Justice Analytical Series, Ministry of Justice, London. ISBN 9781840997361

2014

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Lyngstad, Torkild H. and Andersen, Patrick Lie and Kravdal, Øystein (2014) Proceed with caution? Parents' union dissolution and children's educational achievement Journal of Marriage and Family, 76 (1). 161-174. ISSN 0022-2445

Goisis, Alice and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2014) Childbearing postponement and child well-being: a complex and varied relationship? Demography, 51 (5). 1821-1841. ISSN 0070-3370

2013

Goisis, Alice and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Keizer, Renske (2013) Fathers and fatherhood in the European Union In: Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S and Cabrera, Natasha, (eds.) Handbook of Father Involvement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Routledge, New York, USA, 81-96. ISBN 9780415878678

Kravdal, Øystein and Kodzi, Ivy and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2013) Effects of the number and age of siblings on educational transitions in sub-Saharan Africa Studies in Family Planning, 44 (3). 275-297. ISSN 0039-3665

2012

Hobcraft, John and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2012) The childhood origins of adult socioeconomic disadvantage: do cohort and gender matter? In: Scott, Jackie and Dex, Shirley and Plagnol, Anke, (eds.) Gendered Lives. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, 23-47.

Hobcraft, John and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2012) The childhood origins of adult socio-economic disadvantage: do cohort and gender matter In: Scott, Jacqueline and Dex, Shirley and Plagnol, Anke, (eds.) Gendered Lives. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, 23-47. ISBN 9781849806268

Perelli-Harris, Brienna and Kreyenfeld, Michaela and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Keizer, Renske and Lappegård, Trude and Jasilioniene, Aiva and Berghammer, Caroline and Di Giulio, Paola (2012) Changes in union status during the transition to parenthood in eleven European countries, 1970s to early 2000s Population Studies, 66 (2). 167-182. ISSN 0032-4728

Adsera, Alícia and Ferrer, Ana M. and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Wilson, Ben (2012) Fertility patterns of child migrants: age at migration and ancestry in comparative perspective The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 643 (1). 160-189. ISSN 0002-7162

2011

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Tunberger, P. (2011) Continuity and change in Swedish family policy reforms Journal of European Social Policy, 21 (3). 225-237. ISSN 0958-9287

2010

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2010) Men’s unpaid work and divorce: reassessing specialization and trade in British families Feminist Economics, 16 (2). 1-26. ISSN 1354-5701

Perelli-Harris, Brienna and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Kreyenfeld, Michaela and Lappegård, Trude and Keizer, Renske and Berghammer, Caroline (2010) The educational gradient of childbearing within cohabitation in Europe Population and Development Review, 36 (4). 775-801. ISSN 0098-7921

2009

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2009) The economic costs of divorce in Great Britain: things can only get better In: Andress, Hans-Jürgen and Hummelsheim, Dina, (eds.) When Marriage Ends: Economic and Social Consequences of Partnership Dissolution. Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc., Cheltenham, UK, 155-177. ISBN 9781848441934

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2009) Comparative methods in research on gender and welfare states Twenty-First Century Society, 4 (2). 137-148. ISSN 1745-0144

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2009) Fertility in England and Wales: a policy puzzle? Demografie, 51 (4). 258-265. ISSN 0011-8265

Lupton, Ruth and Tunstall, Rebecca and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Obolenskaya, Polina and Sabates, Ricardo and Meschi, Elena and Kneale, Dylan and Salter, Emma (2009) Growing up in social housing in Britain: a profile of four generations from 1946 to the present day Tenant Services Authority, London, UK.

Hobcraft, John and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2009) Identifying patterns of resilience using classification trees Social Policy and Society, 8 (1). 87-98. ISSN 1475-7464

Steele, Fiona and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Kravdal, Øystein (2009) Consequences of family disruption on children's educational outcomes in Norway Demography, 46 (3). 553-574. ISSN 0070-3370

2008

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2008) Looking for difference? In: Østreng, Willy, (ed.) Complexity: Interdisciplinary Communications 2006/2007. The Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Oslo, Norway, 93-95. ISBN 9788299636759

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2008) England and Wales: stable fertility and pronounced social status differences Demographic Research, 19 (15). 455-502. ISSN 1435-9871

2007

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Waldfogel, Jane (2007) Motherhood and women's earnings in Anglo-American, Continental European, and Nordic Countries Feminist Economics, 13 (2). 55-91. ISSN 1354-5701

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Waldfogel, Jane (2007) The incomes of families with children: a cross-national comparison Journal of European Social Policy, 17 (4). 299-318. ISSN 0958-9287

2006

Perrons, Diane and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2006) Employment transitions over the life cycle: a statistical analysis 46. Equal Opportunities Commission, Manchester, UK.

Perrons, Diane and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2006) Employment transitions over the life cycle: a literature review 47. Equal Opportunities Commission, Manchester, UK. ISBN 184206181X

2005

Ni Bhrolchain, Maire and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2005) Partner supply in Britain and the US: estimates and gender contrasts Population, 60 (1-2). 39-70. ISSN 1634-2941

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Hobcraft, John and Kiernan, Kathleen (2005) Parental divorce and subsequent disadvantage: a cross-cohort comparison Demography, 42 (3). 427-446. ISSN 0070-3370

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2005) Young fatherhood and subsequent disadvantage in the United Kingdom Journal of Marriage and Family, 67 (3). 735-753. ISSN 0022-2445

Hobcraft, John and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2005) An exploration of childhood antecedents of female adult malaise in two British birth cohorts: combining Bayesian model averaging and recursive partitioning CASEpaper, CASE/95. Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

2004

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Kenney, Catherine (2004) Public policy and families In: Scott, Jacqueline and Treas, Judith and Richards, Martin, (eds.) Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Families. Blackwell companions to sociology (9). Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 457-477. ISBN 9780631221586

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and McLanahan, Sara (2004) Father absence and child wellbeing: a critical review In: Moynihan, D.P. and Rainwater, L. and Smeeding, T., (eds.) The Future of the Family. Russell Sage Foundation, New York, USA, 116-155. ISBN 9780871546289

Hobcraft, John and Hango, Darcy and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2004) Family and childhood origins of adult socioeconomic disadvantage: a cross-cohort comparison. In: Annual Meetings of the European Society for Population Economics, 10-12 Jun 2004, Bergen, Norway

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2004) Intergenerational and life-course transmission of social exclusion in the 1970 British cohort study CASEpaper, CASE/78. Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

2003

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2003) Foundlings In: Fass, Paula S., (ed.) Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood: in History and Society. Macmillan, 365-366. ISBN 9780028657141

2002

Ní Bhrolcháin, Máire and Wilson, Tom and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2002) Local marriage markets in Great Britain: how diverse? Population Trends (109). 27-35. ISSN 0307-4463

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2002) The demography of fathers: a European perspective In: Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S and Cabrera, Natasha, (eds.) Handbook of Father Involvement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9780805837025

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and McLanahan, Sara (2002) For richer or poorer?: marriage as an anti-poverty strategy in the United States Population, 57 (3). 509-526. ISSN 1634-2941

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Garfinkel, Irwin (2002) The effects of welfare, child support and labor markets on father involvement In: Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S. and Cabrera, Natasha J., (eds.) Handbook of Father Involvement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, N.J., 409-430. ISBN 9780805837025

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and McLanahan, Sara (2002) The living arrangements of new unmarried mothers Demography, 39 (3). 415-433. ISSN 0070-3370

2001

Rushton, Neil S. and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (2001) Monastic poor relief in sixteenth-century England Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 32 (2). 193-216. ISSN 0022-1953

2000

Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and Kertzer, David I. and White, Michael J. (2000) Abandoned children and their transitions to adulthood in nineteenth-century Italy Journal of Family History, 25 (3). 326-340. ISSN 0363-1990

1999

Kertzer, David I. and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy and White, Michael J. (1999) Childhood mortality and quality of care among abandoned children in nineteenth-century Italy Population Studies, 53 (3). 303-315. ISSN 0032-4728

1998

Kertzer, David I. and Sigle-Rushton, Wendy (1998) The marriage of female foundlings in nineteenth-century Italy Continuity and Change, 13 (2). 201-220. ISSN 0268-4160

Teaching

Wendy is on leave during the 2024-25 Academic Year