The Same Fertility Ideals as in the Country of Origin? A Study of the Personal Ideal Family Size among Immigrant Women in Italy
Autor/in:
Mussino, Eleonora; Ortensi, Livia Elisa
Quelle: Comparative Population Studies - Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft, 43 (2018) , S 243-274
Inhalt: The role of the personal ideal family size for international migrants has rarely been studied in the current debate on fertility and migration in the European context. It is not known to which extent the reduction of fertility observed among immigrants who settle in a country where fertility is lower than in their country of origin is the result of a change in fertility norms among those immigrants. The study of migrants' ideals family size has the potential to shed light on fertility norms without the interference of economic conditions and migration-related disruptive phenomena. Due to the complexity of its migration context, Italy is an interesting destination country for studying changes in migrants' ideal family sizes. This paper uses data from the survey of the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) on immigrant families conducted in 2011-12. We compare the personal ideal family size of women of reproductive age with the prevalent norm in their country of origin, applying a multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results show that the country of origin has an important role in the determination of immigrants’ ideal family sizes. Women from countries where large families are the ideal are more likely to show a lower personal ideal family size compared to their non-migrant co-nationals, while women from countries where two children are considered ideal mostly share the same norm. The occurrence of fertility preferences expressed in a non-numeric form (e.g. "Up to God") changes between women with different countries of origin. This study confirms that conformity with the ideal of the country of origin is more likely among women who migrated as adults. At the same time, the number of years spent in the destination country is not significantly associated with a shift away from the norms prevalent in the country of origin. Finally, female empowerment and gender equity show their effects mainly on the reduction of non-numeric responses.
Schlagwörter:Migrant; migrant; woman; Italien; Italy; Fruchtbarkeit; fertility; Kinderzahl; number of children; generatives Verhalten; reproductive behavior; Familiengröße; family size; Norm; standard; Tradition; tradition; Herkunftsland; country of origin; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Gleichberechtigung; equality of rights; sozioökonomische Faktoren; socioeconomic factors; Ideal number of children; Fertility; Migrants; Italy; Gender Norms
SSOAR Kategorie:Bevölkerung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
The Same Fertility Ideals as in the Country of Origin? A Study of the Personal Ideal Family Size among Immigrant Women in Italy
Autor/in:
Mussino, Eleonora; Ortensi, Livia Elisa
Quelle: Comparative Population Studies - Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft, 43 (2018) , S 243-274
Inhalt: The role of the personal ideal family size for international migrants has rarely been studied in the current debate on fertility and migration in the European context. It is not known to which extent the reduction of fertility observed among immigrants who settle in a country where fertility is lower than in their country of origin is the result of a change in fertility norms among those immigrants. The study of migrants' ideals family size has the potential to shed light on fertility norms without the interference of economic conditions and migration-related disruptive phenomena. Due to the complexity of its migration context, Italy is an interesting destination country for studying changes in migrants' ideal family sizes. This paper uses data from the survey of the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) on immigrant families conducted in 2011-12. We compare the personal ideal family size of women of reproductive age with the prevalent norm in their country of origin, applying a multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results show that the country of origin has an important role in the determination of immigrants’ ideal family sizes. Women from countries where large families are the ideal are more likely to show a lower personal ideal family size compared to their non-migrant co-nationals, while women from countries where two children are considered ideal mostly share the same norm. The occurrence of fertility preferences expressed in a non-numeric form (e.g. "Up to God") changes between women with different countries of origin. This study confirms that conformity with the ideal of the country of origin is more likely among women who migrated as adults. At the same time, the number of years spent in the destination country is not significantly associated with a shift away from the norms prevalent in the country of origin. Finally, female empowerment and gender equity show their effects mainly on the reduction of non-numeric responses.
Schlagwörter:Italy; fertility; reproductive behavior; number of children; gender role; Migrant; Italien; sozioökonomische Faktoren; Geschlechtsrolle; Gleichberechtigung; country of origin; family size; Kinderzahl; Fruchtbarkeit; Tradition; Familiengröße; generatives Verhalten; Norm; migrant; Herkunftsland; standard; equality of rights; socioeconomic factors; woman; tradition; Ideal number of children; Fertility; Migrants; Italy; Gender Norms
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Bevölkerung
Emancipation or child benefits? What Germany’s new family policy has learned from other European countries
Titelübersetzung:Emanzipation oder Kindergeld? Was die neue Familienpolitik Deutschlands von anderen europäischen Ländern gelernt hat
Autor/in:
Kröhnert, Steffen; Klingholz, Reiner
Quelle: Berlin-Institut für Bevölkerung und Entwicklung; Berlin, 2008. 30 S
Inhalt: "The present analysis compares the social conditions for different fertility rates in the nations of western Europe based on an array of socioeconomic indicators. It shows clearly that the traditionally negative correlation between wealth and social development on the one hand and fertility on the other no longer holds once a society has reached a certain level of development. Today more children are born in the countries with the most advanced social systems in regard to gender equality. Based on this result, we propose to discuss the problem of low-fertility countries from a different point of view. Neither child benefits nor other sources of financial aid appear to motivate people in modern industrial societies to have more children. What is far more crucial is equality of men and women in society." (author's abstract)
Schlagwörter:Emanzipation; emancipation; woman; Kindergeld; child benefit; Familienpolitik; family policy; Frauenpolitik; women's policy; Frauenförderung; advancement of women; Gleichstellung; affirmative action; Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Familienarbeit; family work; Geburtenentwicklung; birth trend; Geburtenrückgang; declining birth rate; Kinderlosigkeit; childlessness; Kinderzahl; number of children; sozioökonomische Faktoren; socioeconomic factors; Wohlstand; prosperity; Transferleistung; transfer payments; Gleichberechtigung; equality of rights; Federal Republic of Germany; Europa; Europe
SSOAR Kategorie:Familienpolitik, Jugendpolitik, Altenpolitik, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Bevölkerung
Quelle: Berlin-Institut für Bevölkerung und Entwicklung; Berlin, 2004. 18 S
Inhalt: "(...) Den stetigen Rückgang der Kinderzahlen in modernen Industriegesellschaften bezeichnen manche Bevölkerungswissenschaftler als 'ökonomisch-demografisches Paradoxon'. Je mehr Kinder sich Menschen in den immer wohlhabenderen Gesellschaften theoretisch leisten könnten, je mehr individuelle Freiheiten sich ihnen eröffnen, um so weniger Nachwuchs setzen sie in die Welt. Nach dieser Theorie müssten liberale, marktwirtschaftlich und kapitalistisch orientierte Gesellschaften langfristig aussterben. Das 'ökonomisch-demografische Paradoxon' ist auf den ersten Blick plausibel. Steigender Wohlstand und wirtschaftlicher Aufstieg führen überall auf der Welt zu einem Absinken der Geburtenraten. Doch die Ursache für die deutlichen Unterschiede zwischen den Nationen Westeuropas lässt sich so nicht erklären. (...)" (Textauszug)
Schlagwörter:Emanzipation; emancipation; Europa; Europe; woman; Familie; family; Geburtenrückgang; declining birth rate; Kindergeld; child benefit; Familienpolitik; family policy; Kinderzahl; number of children; Geburt; birth; Quantität; quantity; sozioökonomische Faktoren; socioeconomic factors; Wohlstand; prosperity; Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Kinderbetreuung; child care; Federal Republic of Germany
SSOAR Kategorie:Bevölkerung, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung