A review of early education in eight countries

Austin, Gilbert R.

doi:10.1007/bf03175922

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…For western Germany, the earliest statistics available are for 1970-71. At that time only 35 percent of children aged 4 were in child care, compared to 95 percent in Belgium (Austin 1973). It is also noteworthy that most institutional child care in western Germany was (and remains) parttime, which limits the ability of parents to participate in the labor market.…”

Section: Family Policies In Belgium and Germanymentioning

confidence: 99%

Family Policies and the Western European Fertility Divide: Insights from a Natural Experiment in Belgium

Klüsener

Neels

Kreyenfeld

2013

Population & Development Rev

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Countries in Northwestern Europe, including Belgium, report cohort fertility levels of close to two children per woman; whereas Central European countries, such as Germany, have levels of around 1.6 children. In seeking to explain these differences, some scholars have stressed the role of the social policy context, while others have pointed to variation in fertility‐related social norms. But because these influences are interdependent, it is difficult to isolate their effects on fertility trends. This study attempts to disentangle these two factors by drawing on a quasi‐natural experiment. After World War I Germany was compelled to cede the Eupen–Malmedy territory to Belgium. The population of this region has retained its German linguistic identity, but has been subject to Belgian social policies. We examine whether the fertility trends in this German‐speaking region of Belgium follow the Belgian or the German pattern. Our findings indicate that they generally resemble the Belgian pattern. This suggests that institutional factors are important for understanding the current fertility differences in Western Europe.

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Section: Family Policies In Belgium and Germanymentioning

confidence: 99%

Family Policies and the Western European Fertility Divide: Insights from a Natural Experiment in Belgium

Klüsener

Neels

Kreyenfeld

2013

Population & Development Rev

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“…1). 1956-57, 1964-65, 1970: Child care usage ratio 1985, 1994: Child care provision ratio ** Including day care *** Numbers 2008: Western Germany without West Berlin Source: Coulon 1967;Austin 1970;Deutsches Jugendinstitut 1998;Statistisches Bundesamt 2009;GGP 2012 However, the numbers for Belgium are national level averages. For our research design, it is important to know whether these numbers differ for the German-speaking Community.…”

Section: Family Policy Developments In Belgium and Germanymentioning

confidence: 99%

Social norms, family policies, and fertility trends: insights from a comparative study on the German-speaking region in Belgium

Klüsener¹,

Neels²,

Kreyenfeld³

2013

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Several countries in Northern and Western Europe report cohort fertility rates of close to two children per woman, including Belgium, France, and Denmark. By contrast, most Central and Southern European countries have cohort fertility levels of only around 1.5-1.6 children.Germany is part of this second group. In order to explain these country differences in fertility levels, some scholars have stressed the role of the social policy context, while others have pointed to differences in social fertility norms. However, due to the interdependence of these two factors, it is cumbersome to isolate their impact on fertility trends. In our study we attempt to disentangle these influences by drawing on a quasi-natural experiment. In the aftermath of World War I, Germany was forced to cede the territory of Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium. The population in this area retained its German linguistic identity, but has been subject to Belgian social policies since the early 1920s. Our main research question is whether the fertility trends in this German-speaking region of Belgium follow the Belgian or the German pattern more closely. To answer this question, we use (micro)-census data to compare the fertility behavior in the German-speaking region in Belgium with data for western Germany and the Belgian Flemish-and French-speaking regions, controlling for individual-level characteristics. Our findings indicate that the overall fertility outcomes of the German-speaking region in Belgium resemble the Belgian pattern more than the German one. This provides support for the view that institutional factors play an important role for understanding the current fertility differences in Western Europe.

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