Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1990

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Home Economics Education

Major Professor

Lynn Blinn

Committee Members

Etta Mae Westbrook, Carl Dyer

Abstract

Current information indicates that children today have a large discretionary income. This research attempts to analyze the sources of pre-adolescent children's income and their utilization of this income. Furthermore, an attempt was made to determine if differences existed in money acquisition and usage among pre-adolescent children based on age, grade in school, sex, rural or urban place of residence, enrollment or non-enrollment in a 4-H Money Management project, and socio-economic status. Data for 134 children from eight Tennessee counties were analyzed. Results indicated that older children received more money from parents each week that was not part of an allowance, and use babysitting, odd jobs at home, and odd jobs away from home as sources of income. They received more money from sources of income other than parents, had more money to spend as they chose, were more likely to have a savings account at a bank, and spent more money each week for activities such as concerts, sports contests, skating, movies, or bowling, and for church-related activities. Similar results were found for grade in school. Females were more likely to identify babysitting, gifts from family members, gifts from friends, and housework at home as a source of income. Males were more likely to identify odd jobs away from home, farm chores away from home, and yardwork away from home as a source of income. Males were also more likely to use their own money for fun activities, save a higher amount of money, and spend more for games, game machines in stores, and home video games, as well as sports or exercise equipment. Children from rural counties were more likely to spend money for cameras, computers, radios, televisions, vcr's, and similar items, as well as hair care products, haircuts, make-up, and other grooming expenses. Those enrolled in the 4-H Management project reported receiving more money from parents each week that was not part of an allowance, and were spent more for church-related activities. Children from higher and mid-level professional socio-economic backgrounds were more likely to have a savings account at a bank, more likely to borrow money, and spent more on jewelry each week than children from lower-level professionals and skilled laborer socio-economic backgrounds and unskilled laborer and welfare dependent socio-economic backgrounds.

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