TY - JOUR
T1 - The attitude toward voluntary childlessness in Europe: cultural and institutional explanations
AU - Merz, E.-M.
AU - Liefbroer, A.C.
N1 - Reporting year: 2012
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - The prevalence and social acceptance of childlessness have increased in recent decades. Still, little is known about how this social acceptance is shaped, the extent to which approval of childlessness differs across Europe, and what factors cause potential cross-national variation. The authors used data from the European Social Survey 2006 (N =36,187) to examine the attitude toward voluntary childlessness in 20 countries.Results from multilevel models were largely in line with expectations derived from Second Demographic Transition theory concerning traditional orientation, age, religiousness, education, and stage of Second Demographic Transition in a country. The results also corroborated
individual-level expectations on the role of gender and socioeconomic status based
on New Home Economics theory. One countrylevel indicator, child-care availability, was not related to the attitude toward childlessness. The current study provides new insights into explaining cross-national differences in the attitude toward childlessness and more generally into the process of fertility decision making.
AB - The prevalence and social acceptance of childlessness have increased in recent decades. Still, little is known about how this social acceptance is shaped, the extent to which approval of childlessness differs across Europe, and what factors cause potential cross-national variation. The authors used data from the European Social Survey 2006 (N =36,187) to examine the attitude toward voluntary childlessness in 20 countries.Results from multilevel models were largely in line with expectations derived from Second Demographic Transition theory concerning traditional orientation, age, religiousness, education, and stage of Second Demographic Transition in a country. The results also corroborated
individual-level expectations on the role of gender and socioeconomic status based
on New Home Economics theory. One countrylevel indicator, child-care availability, was not related to the attitude toward childlessness. The current study provides new insights into explaining cross-national differences in the attitude toward childlessness and more generally into the process of fertility decision making.
U2 - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.00972.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.00972.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-2445
VL - 74
SP - 587
EP - 600
JO - Journal of Marriage and Family
JF - Journal of Marriage and Family
IS - 3
ER -