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Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2011, Vol. 9

Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2011, Vol. 9
Reproductive decisionmaking
Nummer:
9
Jahrgang:
2011
1. Auflage, 2012
Das „Vienna Yearbook of Population Research“ ist eine Open Access-Zeitschrift, die Beiträge zu Bevölkerungstrends sowie zu einem breiten Spektrum theoretischer und methodischer Fragen der Bevölkerungsforschung enthält. Abgesehen von Forschungs- und Übersichtsartikeln beinhaltet das Journal auch Beiträge zu Daten & Trends, die Veränderungen in der Bevölkerungsdynamik analysieren und Datenbanken sowie Dateninfrastrukturen darstellen. Darüber hinaus enthält die Zeitschrift Artikel zu Perspectives, die sich mit Ideen, Konzepten oder Theorien befassen, sowie invited Debates zu ausgewählten Fragen und Themen. Seit 2008 sind die Bände ausgewählten Themen gewidmet, die entsprechend speziellen Aufforderungen zur Einreichung thematischer Fragen veröffentlicht werden.
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Introduction

Reproductive decision-making: towards improved theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches
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Demographic Debate

Is the Theory of Planned Behaviour an appropriate model for human fertility?
Philip S. Morgan - Christine A. Bachrach
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Comparing the TPB and the T-D-I-B framework
Warren B. Miller
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The Theory of Planned Behaviour: considering drives, proximity and dynamics
Jennifer S. Barber
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Theories on fertility intentions: a demographer's perspective
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The Theory of Planned Behaviour as a model of reasoning about fertility decisions
Jane Klobas
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On the usefulness of the Theory of Planned Behaviour for fertility research
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Reflections on Morgan and Bachrach's critique
Icek Ajzen
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Further reflections on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and fertility research
Christine A. Bachrach - Philip S. Morgan
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Refereed Articles

Differences between fertility desires and intentions: implications for theory, research and policy
In previous research I have theorised that there is a three-step motivational sequence that drives fertility behaviour, beginning with motivational traits, continuing with fertility desires and concluding with fertility intentions. In this article I focus on four properties of fertility desires and intentions, examining some recent research findings that bear on the similarities and differences between these two constructs. The four properties include the degree to which either construct has direct genetic antecedents, the degree to which either construct directly predicts behaviour, what type of dimension is used to measure each construct, and the effects that each construct has on the individual’s satisfaction with being pregnant. The findings regarding these four properties suggest that fertility desires are intermediate between two evolutionally distinct motive systems that drive reproductive behaviour. The findings also suggest additional research questions that require further pursuit. Finally, the findings inform certain fertility-related policy issues, in particular the gap between desired or intended fertility and actual fertility.
Schlagworte:
Warren B. Miller
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Uncertainty in fertility intentions in Britain, 1979-2007
The paper uses a time series of repeated rounds of the General Household Survey in Great Britain to study uncertainty in fertility intentions. We show that a substantial minority of women are uncertain in their expectations about future childbearing. A comparison of reported uncertainty in GHS rounds 1979-1990 with 1991-2007 reveals that the estimated level of uncertainty is influenced by question format. At the individual level, uncertainty varies largely with demographic status and life stage-age, partnership status, parity and time since previous birth. Evidence from qualitative and quantitative studies, particularly in relation to pregnancy intentions, reinforces the reality of uncertainty about reproductive prospects. We suggest that the measurement of fertility intentions needs improvement. A new theoretical approach to fertility intentions is outlined in brief.
Schlagworte:
Máire Ní Bhrolcháin - Éva Beaujouan
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Fertility preferences: what measuring second choices teaches us
This article aims to strengthen the research methodology for studies of fertility preferences. Knowledge of personal fertility ideals is important both for demographers and policy makers, but the measurement techniques currently employed are not very refined. We suggest that the information provided by asking people about their personal ideal number of offspring can be improved in quality when asking them to also consider alternative preferences. The results of a survey conducted in the Netherlands demonstrate how measuring second (and, if desired, further) choices improves our ability to differentiate between different population subgroups. Moreover, it brings to light individuals’ openness to their ‘second best ideals’. Including questions on alternative ideals in surveys thus enhances the qualitative potential of studies on fertility ideals and adds a new dimension to research on the how and why of fertility gaps between desired and achieved fertility.
Schlagworte:
Saskia Hin - Anne Gauthier - Joshua R. Goldstein - Christoph Bühler
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Couples' childbearing behaviour in Italy: which of the partners is leading it?
Using data on 2356 Italian couples from the longitudinal survey on Family and Social Subjects conducted between 2003 and 2007, we examine the relationship between child-timing intentions and subsequent reproductive outcomes. Our hypothesis is that in Italy the lack of agreement between partners has an inhibiting effect on couple’s pregnancy-seeking behaviour because inertia and social norms favour the partner who does not want to have a(nother) child. We find that this holds true only for couples who have already two or more children whereas at lower parities conflicting intentions result in either a middle fertility outcome or childbearing levels similar to those observed for couples who agree on having a child. Women have a greater influence on childbearing decisions than men. The explicit consideration of a partner’s disagreement increases the predictive accuracy of fertility intentions. Our findings strongly support the adoption of a couple-oriented approach in fertility research.
Schlagworte:
Maria Rita Testa - Laura Cavalli - Alessandro Rosina
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The influence of the family network on the realisation of fertility intentions
The gap between fertility intentions and behaviour remains a contentious area of theoretical, methodological and policy debate. Previous fertility studies have focused on individual and institutional characteristics, at the expense of the recognition of meso-level family social capital and networks. This study examines the realisation of time-dependent fertility intentions for the transition to first and higher-order births. Building upon and extending the previous literature we explore two competing theoretical mechanisms of how high levels of family social capital operate to either enable or inhibit the realisation of intentions and the impact of cross-sibling effects. Using two waves of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Survey (NKPS), we also introduce a methodological extension by examining whether the inclusion of only those with positive fertility intentions in previous research has resulted in selection bias. By adopting a probit model with sample selection, we both avoid this selection problem and empirically test whether there is a bias. Results show that there are some, albeit negligible, unobserved characteristics affecting both an individual’s fertility intentions and the realisation of these intentions. High levels of family social capital operate to deter from having a child, particularly when individuals already have at least one child, suggesting that individuals adopt a ‘satisficing’ strategy. Our findings also suggest that children may operate as a means to generate family social capital. Having a sibling with a young child is associated with a higher probability to realise one’s own intention to have a first child.
Schlagworte:
Nicoletta Balbo - Melinda Mills
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Intergenerational transmission of fertility intentions and behaviour in Germany: the role of contagion
This study investigates whether the fertility behaviour of significant others, in particular of one’s parents and siblings, affects individuals’ own fertility intentions and behaviour. Using the data of three cohorts of young Germans, we test the hypothesis that ‘contagion’ by siblings with young children explains the transmission of fertility patterns across generations. In theory, transmission might be explained by contagion, or transmission and contagion might operate independently of each other. The results show strong evidence for the transmission of fertility intentions and behaviour from parents to their offspring. Evidence for contagion by siblings is weak and contagious effects therefore do not explain transmission.
Schlagworte:
Markus Kotte - Volker Ludwig
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Educational differentials in fertility intentions and outcomes: family formation in Flanders in the early 1990s
Over the last decades the majority of European countries have witnessed fertility levels considerably below replacement. Particularly completed cohort fertility below two children per woman has raised concerns whether this trend corresponds to a decline of fertility intentions or represents a discrepancy between intended and realised fertility. Using data from the Fertility and Family Survey (FFS) conducted in 1991, we look at fertility intentions of women aged 20-39 in Flanders, documenting how intentions differ in terms of education of women and their partners, activity status and household position. For a larger group of women, we subsequently compare the effects of these characteristics on first-, second- and third-birth hazards in a prospective study based on longitudinal microdata from the 1991 and 2001 Belgian censuses. Our results indicate that lifetime fertility intentions in 1991 were above the replacement level, but also that the proportion of women having a child in the three-year period following the 1991 census is lower than the short-term intentions suggested in the FFS, particularly for first births. We find evidence of a positive educational gradient in both fertility intentions and birth hazards. For the highly educated, higher birth hazards are associated with a stronger attachment to the labour market (both before and after parenthood), homogamy to highly educated partners and more frequent uptake of (in)formal child care.
Schlagworte:
David De Wachter - Karel Neels
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Family policies, norms about gender roles and fertility decisions in France and Germany
Cross-country comparisons show that family policies supporting the work-family combination are related to higher fertility in industrialised countries. We argue that within each country, there is a dominant norm about the care of small children, linked to the shape of family policy, that influences individuals’ fertility decisions whatever their gender roles attitudes and practices. We compare western Germany and France, which have different family policy and child care contexts, and also different fertility levels, but exhibit similar attitudes and practices towards gender roles as measured in surveys. Using qualitative data (62 interviews), we show that in each national sample, most individuals manage to agree with the national norm about child care, on top of their varying attitudes towards, and practices of, gender roles. These national norms about child care shape fertility decisions, independently of the provision of child care. In western Germany, where mothers are seen as the best child care providers, women who want or need to work prefer to forgo having children rather than using other possible sources of child care. In France, where child care is seen as best when shared, individuals find child care solutions allowing women to work, even in cases where no institutional care is available.
Schlagworte:
Clémentine Rossier - Sara Brachet - Anne Salles
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Baby longing and men's reproductive motivation
Childbearing in low-fertility societies sometimes results from a strong desire to have a(nother) child. Since women tend to dominate discussions on ‘baby longing’ or ‘baby fever’, it is not clear whether men also feel the powerful urge to have a child. Moreover, the demographic importance of baby longing has yet to be assessed. Using cross-sectional surveys from contemporary Finland and focusing on men, we analyse gender differences in baby longing. Both sexes report having felt an intense longing to have a child of their own at least once or a few times in their lives. A higher proportion of men say they have never longed for a child, while a higher proportion of women report having felt this longing frequently. Baby longing figures at different stages of the Traits- Desires-Intentions-Behaviour scheme of reproductive behaviour. For a small minority of men, longing first appears in youth. Baby longing among men most commonly plays into childbearing desires preceding attempts to achieve pregnancy. However, about every third man reports having first felt this longing only when trying to have a child. Baby longing among men is unrelated to economic and educational status, but it is associated with marital status, fertility intentions and the number of lifetime unions. Compared to its effects on women, baby longing among men is reported to result in having a child less often and to have less influence on childbearing decisions. We conclude that women’s longing shapes the couple’s fertility behaviour to a slightly higher degree than men’s longing does, especially with regards to higher parities. Men’s baby longing may be especially important for sustaining proceptive behaviour and preparing for fatherhood.
Schlagworte:
Anna Rotkirch - Stuart Gietel-Basten - Heini Väisänen - Markus Jokela
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Does parenthood increase happiness? Evidence for Poland
In the recent decade demographers turned their attention to investigating the effects of children on self-rated happiness or life satisfaction. The underlying idea of this strand of research is to find out whether it pays off for individuals to become parents in terms of their subjective well-being, given the costs of having children. Following this line of research, this article studies the impacts of childbearing on individual-level happiness in Poland; a country which experienced a rapid decline in fertility despite the particularly strong attachment of young Poles to family values. To this end, we applied methods for panel data analysis which allowed us to control for endogeneity of subjective well-being and parenthood. Our results reveal a significantly positive effect of the first child on the subjective well-being of mothers. For men, this impact is weaker and most likely temporary since it weakens with the child’s increasing age. An important finding is that neither for men nor for women does the positive impact of parenthood rise with an increase in parity. This may explain the persistence of low fertility in this country.
Schlagworte:
Anna Baranowska - Anna Matysiak
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Data & Trends (non-refereed contributions)

Design and implementation of an online weekly journal to study unintended pregnancies
In this article we describe new research to investigate unintended pregnancies during the transition to adulthood. The Relationship Dynamics and Social Life (RDSL) study begins with a 60-minute in-person interview about family background and current relationship characteristics. At the conclusion of the interview, respondents are enrolled in an ongoing journal, which consists of a 5-minute survey via web or phone and occurs weekly for 2.5 years. We have enrolled over 1,000 young women in the study and have experienced excellent baseline response rates and high journal participation rates. Below we describe the limitations of past research on unintended pregnancy as a background for our study. Then we provide a detailed description of the study and its design strengths and weaknesses.
Schlagworte:
Jennifer S. Barber - Yasamin Kusunoki - Heather H. Gatny
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Couple disagreement about fertility preferences and family-friendly policy measures in the Czech Republic
This article describes some findings of an ad-hoc survey “Marriage, Work and Family” conducted in the Czech Republic in 2005. The analysis is focused on couple disagreement about childbearing attitudes, ideals and intentions as well as on the partners’ negotiation process in reproductive decision-making. The results indicate that around one-fifth of Czech couples disagree about the intended number of children. The relatively high share of concordance between partners is the final outcome of a negotiation process within the couple in most cases. The more general the childbearing preferences measures, the higher the level of couple disagreement: one-third of the couples disagree about the family size ideals and two-thirds of them disagree about the reasons for having children. Moreover, one-fourth of Czech partners disagree about the impact of different policy measures on their own reproductive behaviour. This suggests that the potential for a couple’s conflict is quite high and that policy-makers willing to implement effective family-friendly policy measures should target their intervention not only to women but to men as well.
Schlagworte:
Beatrice Chromková Manuea - Petr Fučík
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Ausgabe:
978-3-7001-7235-2, Zeitschriftenausgabe, broschiert, 15.05.2012
Ausgabe:
978-3-7001-7252-9, E-Journal, digital, 15.05.2012
Auflage:
1. Auflage
Seitenzahl:
345 Seiten
Format:
24x17cm
Sprache:
Englisch

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