Fertility Intentions and Views on Gender Roles: Russian Women in Estonia from an Origin-destination Perspective

Abstract

In this article we investigate fertility intentions of Russian women in Estonia from an origin-destination perspective. Russian migrants to Estonia and their descendants are compared with women in the sending and host countries in order to identify similarities and differences in intended transitions to first, second and third births. The study is based on the Estonian and Russian Generations and Gender Surveys, which were conducted in 2004/2005, and employs logistic regression models. The dependent variables are intentions to become a mother, to have a second child, or to have a third child. The hypotheses for the study are mainly derived from the adaptation, cultural maintenance, and selection (characteristics) perspectives. We also incorporate attitudes towards gender roles into the models, which have proven to be a salient factor in shaping childbearing intentions, but have seldom been considered in studies of migrant fertility.Our results lend support to both the adaptation and cultural maintenance perspectives. In accord with the latter, the similarity between the childbearing intentions of Russian migrants and their descendants in Estonia and those of their counterparts in Russia suggests that socialisation to the ethnic subculture has prevailed over the influence of the host society. We attribute this outcome to contextual features that have retarded integration processes. By contrast, we observe that proficiency in the host country language, residence in areas where the host population constitutes a large majority and having a native partner significantly contribute to the adaptation of migrants’ intentions to have another child to those of the host population. These results provide support to the adaptation argument. Finally, our study reveals a positive association between egalitarian views on gender roles and women’s intentions to have another child. However, variation in gender role attitudes accounts for a relatively minor part of the difference in intended fertility between the groups addressed in this study.* This article belongs to a special issue on migrant fertility.

Fertility Intentions Within a 3-Year Time Frame: a Comparison Between Migrant and Native Italian Women

“…Their results suggest that Russian migrants and their descendants in Estonia have fertility intentions more similar to those of their counterparts in Russia than to those of Estonians. Nevertheless, aspects strictly related to integration, such as language proficiency and having a native partner, are linked to higher chances of adopting typical host country fertility intention patterns among migrants and their descendants (Puur et al 2018). These findings indicate that cultural embeddedness matters in shaping fertility intentions.…”

“…The first generation instead shows more positive short-term fertility intentions compared to natives, while the 1.5 generation occupies an intermediate position (Carlsson 2018). Puur et al (2018) recently studied the fertility intentions of Russian migrants and their descendants in Estonia, comparing non-migrants in Estonia and Russia. Their results suggest that Russian migrants and their descendants in Estonia have fertility intentions more similar to those of their counterparts in Russia than to those of Estonians.…”

“…Research has shown the persistence of patterns similar to those in the country of origin (i.e. non-migrant peers) among first-generation migrants, while demonstrating a gradual convergence towards patterns typical of natives among those in the 1.5 and second generations (Carlsson 2018;Puur et al 2018).…”

Neighbourhoods and Workplaces: Are They Related to the Fertility of Immigrants and Their Descendants? A Register-Based Study of Finland, 1999–2014

“…In a survey-based study that focussed on first-and second-generation Russians in Estonia, Puur et al (2017) showed that residence amongst the host population outside of areas with a high concentration of immigrants was associated with convergence of the Russians' third-birth risks with those of the host population. A related study found a similar association for the intentions of Russian women in Estonia to have another child (Puur et al 2018).…”

Is the Combination of the Nationalities of the Couple Affecting Women’s Fertility Intentions? Insights from Italy

“…A large bulk of studies analyzed natives' fertility intentions (FIs, hereinafter) (Régnier-Loilier and Vignoli, 2011;Balbo and Mills, 2011;Gatta et al, 2021;Novelli et al, 2021) and literature on migrants' FIs grown significantly in recent years (Kraus and Castro-Martín, 2018;Puur et al, 2018;Carlsson, 2018;Alderotti et al, 2022-forthcoming). However, to the best of our knowledge, none of the former investigated the role that the combination of partners' nationalities may play in individual's intentions to have a(another) child.…”