Analyzing Childlessness

Kreyenfeld, Michaela; Konietzka, Dirk

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-44667-7_1

Cited by 45 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…For example, we find that among the western German 1950–1959 cohorts, the average number of children is 1.7—a figure that is very close to the cohort fertility estimate for these cohorts published by the German Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt 2007). Our findings further indicate that the share of women in these cohorts who were childless is approximately 17 %, which is also in the expected range (Kreyenfeld and Konietzka 2017). Among the subsequent cohorts, the total number of children born declined and the share remaining childless increased.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 76%

Job Displacement and First Birth Over the Business Cycle

2017

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In this article, we investigate the impact of job displacement on women’s first-birth rates as well as the variation in this effect over the business cycle. We use mass layoffs to estimate the causal effects of involuntary job loss on fertility in the short and medium term, up to five years after displacement. Our analysis is based on rich administrative data from Germany, with an observation period spanning more than 20 years. We apply inverse probability weighting (IPW) to flexibly control for the observed differences between women who were and were not displaced. To account for the differences in the composition of the women who were displaced in a downturn and the women who were displaced in an upswing, we use a double weighting estimator. Results show that the extent to which job displacement has adverse effects on fertility depends on the business cycle. The first-birth rates were much lower for women who were displaced in an economic downturn than for those who lost a job in an economic upturn. This result cannot be explained by changes in the observed characteristics of the displaced women over the business cycle.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13524-017-0580-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 76%

Job Displacement and First Birth Over the Business Cycle

2017

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“…If demographic developments of the last century are considered, in Europe as well as in the United States or Australia, the lowest levels of childlessness have been reported for women born in the 1940s, and rising again in younger cohorts (Rowland, 2007;Sobotka, 2017). The increasing share of childless women has generated new research and a heated debate on the causes and consequences of having no offspring (Kreyenfeld & Konietzka, 2017). As Somers (1993, p. 643) noticed, prior to 1968 childlessness was listed only as a cross-reference to 'sterility' in the literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Motives Through Desires to Intentions: Investigating the Reproductive Choices of Childless Men and Women in Poland

Mynarska

Rytel

2017

J. Biosoc. Sci.

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SummaryThis study examined the potential of the theoretical model proposed by Warren Miller (the Traits/Motives-Desires-Intentions-Behaviour or TDIB model) for investigating the involuntary-voluntary childlessness continuum. The first three stages of the theoretical motivational sequence (motives to desires to intentions) were examined using a purposive sample of 314 childless Polish men and women aged 30-39 (at the time of data collection in September 2013). In Poland, this is the age range when the final decision for or against parenthood is taken. To model the motivational sequence, the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique was applied. The results confirmed the hypothesized relations between the constructs for childless individuals in the analysed age group. Their childbearing desires were found to be good predictors of reproductive intentions, while negative and positive childbearing motives (independently) underpinned their desires. Moreover, positive motives appeared to have a stronger effect on desires than negative ones. The study also documented the psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation of the Childbearing Questionnaire, which was originally developed by Miller to measure childbearing motives. The advantages of using this tool for investigating the involuntary-voluntary childlessness continuum are discussed. Overall, the study validated the theoretical model as well as the adaptation of the Childbearing Questionnaire in the new research context: in the new cultural setting and for examining reproductive choices of a specific subpopulation. Directions for future research that could build on the TDIB model and allow for a deeper understanding of permanent childlessness are outlined.

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“…A number of empirical studies deal with different aspects of the interplay between gender relations and fertility in advanced societies (Kreyenfeld and Konietzka 2017;Balbo et al 2013;Tanturri et al 2015). Myrskylä et al (2011) argue that gender equity is a necessary condition for rising fertility in highly developed societies.…”

Section: Empirical Evidence On Gender Relations and Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Societal Agreement on Gender Role Attitudes and Childlessness in 38 Countries

Hudde

2018

Eur J Population

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Many authors argue that levels of childlessness and fertility are a function of changing gender relations, but the mechanisms behind this association remain unclear and mainly untested. This study argues that the societal variation in gender role attitudes explains the link: a great variation in attitudes among potential partners leads to uncertainty and conflicts, which depresses people's propensity for parenthood. This idea is tested with multilevel logistic regression models for 6305 individuals in 38 countries on all continents, using ISSP 2012 data. Measures for the average gender role attitude in the society as well as the dispersion in attitudes are regressed on whether individuals have at least one child or are childless. Attitudes are captured using factor analysis and are opinions towards the gendered division of given tasks and privileges, such as childrearing or the uptake of parental leave. The dispersion in attitudes is the standard deviation of the factor variable in the given country. The analysis gives support to the hypothesis: the greater the variation in gender role attitudes, the higher the chance for individuals to remain childless. The association is significant and holds against various robustness checks.

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Analyzing Childlessness

Cited by 45 publications

References 50 publications

Job Displacement and First Birth Over the Business Cycle

Job Displacement and First Birth Over the Business Cycle

From Motives Through Desires to Intentions: Investigating the Reproductive Choices of Childless Men and Women in Poland

Societal Agreement on Gender Role Attitudes and Childlessness in 38 Countries

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