When not to have another baby: An evolutionary approach to low fertility

Mace, Ruth

doi:10.4054/demres.2014.30.37

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Women with more authority in the decision-making process regarding having children may therefore be more likely to postpone childbirth. However, evolutionary biology suggests that all individuals face a tradeoff between the costs of reproduction and the benefits of having children in terms of inclusive fitness (Conde-Agudelo, Kafury-Goeta 2006, 2007;Hamilton 1964aHamilton , 1964bHrdy 2009;Mace 2014). This suggests that women with greater conjugal power can be more successful in increasing their fertility than women with less conjugal power.…”

Section: Spousal Age Difference and Fertility: Evidence From Previousmentioning

confidence: 99%

The age difference between spouses and reproduction in 19th century Sweden

Rotering¹,

Bras²

2019

DemRes

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BACKGROUND The influence of spousal relations on reproductive outcomes has received considerable attention in the demographic literature. Previous studies have shown the complex interplay between age difference, female autonomy, and reproductive outcomes, but only a few have focused on historical high-fertility populations. OBJECTIVE This study investigates the associations between spousal age difference and the timing of first and higher order births, as well as the total number of children born. METHODS Data from the Demographic Data Base (married women, born between 1840 and 1889, first marriages only) are used to construct individual life courses in central and northern Sweden. The relative risk of age-homogamous and age-heterogamous couples having a child is examined using event history analysis. Poisson regression is applied to identify the effects of age difference on the total number of children born. RESULTS After controlling for the age of the wife, women in wife-older marriages show higher hazard rates for the transition to first and later order births compared to women in agehomogamous marriages. By contrast, women in husband-older marriages show lower hazard rates for the transition between births, with the exception of first childbirth. However, the net effect of spousal age difference on the total number of children ever born is small. CONTRIBUTION This study provides empirical evidence of the association between spousal age gap and fertility outcomes, using the spousal age gap as a proxy for conjugal power. It shows that women in wife-older marriages used their greater female autonomy to shorten the

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Section: Spousal Age Difference and Fertility: Evidence From Previousmentioning

confidence: 99%

The age difference between spouses and reproduction in 19th century Sweden

Rotering¹,

Bras²

2019

DemRes

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“…There are undoubtedly numerous reasons behind these patterns. Drawing on evolutionary life history theory, and providing an explanation at an "ultimate" level (in terms of evolutionary function) environmental harshnessapproximated by SEP -is predicted to influence reproductive strategies, including strategies related to parental investments in children (Stearns, 1992;Mace, 2014). Living in harsh environmentssuch as those associated with low-SEP -has been hypothesised to be associated with lower levels of parental investment (Stearns, 1992).…”

Section: Patterns Of Support By Sepmentioning

confidence: 99%

Support for new mothers and fertility in the United Kingdom: Not all support is equal in the decision to have a second child

Schaffnit

Sear

2017

Population Studies

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Low fertility across Europe highlights the need to understand reproductive decisions in high-income countries better. Availability of support may be one factor influencing reproductive decisions, though within high-income countries availability varies between environments, including socio-economic environments. We test whether receiving higher levels of support, from different sources (informal and formal) and of different types (practical and emotional), is positively correlated with second births in the United Kingdom (UK) Millennium Cohort Study, and whether these relationships differ by socio-economic position (SEP). Our hypothesis is only partially supported: receiving emotional support correlates with higher likelihood of second birth, but the opposite is true for practical support. Availability of different types of support varies across SEP, but relationships between support and fertility are similar, with one exception: kin-provided childcare increases the likelihood of birth only among lower-SEP women. Our results highlight that not all support is equal in the decision to have a second child.

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“…Close relationships are 'instrumental' for enjoying affection, stimulation and social approval, and also often motivated by altruism (Tomasello 2009). On the other hand, it may be argued (as evolutionary scholars do, see Mace 2013) that successful parenthood is a goal by itself, or even the ultimate goal.…”

Section: The General Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%