Inhalt: "Together with three colleagues, the author has been asked by the MPIDR to debate the following question: 'Should governments in Europe be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility?' Setting aside the 'lighthearted' side of this 'Rostocker Debate', (12 minutes for each speech, one minute for each comment), the author saws this as a good opportunity to think about the stakes behind the question. In order to address this complex issue, it is necessary to think about the many 'preliminary questions' that we have to ponder before responding: Why should fertility be raised? Are political measures legitimate? Are they efficient? On what basis are we qualified to give 'expert' opinions on such a topic? When the question comes to the fore, we as scholars are sometimes asked to provide an answer. It would, of course, be more comfortable not to answer, but our interlocutors (politicians, journalists, teachers, and also funding agencies) often want a definite response one way or the other. Even though our position may be a matter of politics as well as a matter of science, we must give an answer. The empirical evidence shows that European countries where gender inequality is lower are also the countries where fertility is the highest. This is the evidence-based response that we can give to that question. European countries need to find a new equilibrium after the end of the baby boom period, when gender equality was very low. In all countries, the empowerment of women is underway, thanks to the economic independence given by work-related income. Increasing gender equality is an efficient way to reduce the opportunity costs of having and raising children, and thus to increase fertility. Finally, 'pushing for gender equality' may have many positive effects other than raising fertility, and has few negative side effects. Gender equality is thus a convenient political aim per se; an institutional goal which leaves many political questions open. So, yes, we agree that governments in Europe should be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility!" (author's abstract)|

Schlagwörter:Europa; Bevölkerungspolitik; Gleichstellung; Fruchtbarkeit; Einfluss; Auswirkung; Empowerment; Gleichgewicht; Politik; Ziel; Familie; institutionelle Faktoren

CEWS Kategorie:Gleichstellungspolitik, Vereinbarkeit Familie-Beruf, Demographie und Bevölkerungsfragen

Verfügbarkeit:http://dx.doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2011.24.7

Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz

Inhalt: "Together with three colleagues, the author has been asked by the MPIDR to debate the following question: 'Should governments in Europe be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility?' Setting aside the 'lighthearted' side of this 'Rostocker Debate', (12 minutes for each speech, one minute for each comment), the author saws this as a good opportunity to think about the stakes behind the question. In order to address this complex issue, it is necessary to think about the many 'preliminary questions' that we have to ponder before responding: Why should fertility be raised? Are political measures legitimate? Are they efficient? On what basis are we qualified to give 'expert' opinions on such a topic? When the question comes to the fore, we as scholars are sometimes asked to provide an answer. It would, of course, be more comfortable not to answer, but our interlocutors (politicians, journalists, teachers, and also funding agencies) often want a definite response one way or the other. Even though our position may be a matter of politics as well as a matter of science, we must give an answer. The empirical evidence shows that European countries where gender inequality is lower are also the countries where fertility is the highest. This is the evidence-based response that we can give to that question. European countries need to find a new equilibrium after the end of the baby boom period, when gender equality was very low. In all countries, the empowerment of women is underway, thanks to the economic independence given by work-related income. Increasing gender equality is an efficient way to reduce the opportunity costs of having and raising children, and thus to increase fertility. Finally, 'pushing for gender equality' may have many positive effects other than raising fertility, and has few negative side effects. Gender equality is thus a convenient political aim per se; an institutional goal which leaves many political questions open. So, yes, we agree that governments in Europe should be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility!" (author's abstract)

Schlagwörter:Europa; Bevölkerungspolitik; Gleichstellung; Fruchtbarkeit; Einfluss; Auswirkung; Empowerment; Gleichgewicht; Politik; Ziel; Familie; institutionelle Faktoren

CEWS Kategorie:Demographie und Bevölkerungsfragen, Gleichstellungspolitik, Vereinbarkeit Familie-Beruf

Verfügbarkeit:http://dx.doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2011.24.7

Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz

Inhalt: "This paper examines the living arrangements of Swedish children from 1970 through 1999 using the Level of Living Survey. Sweden, with low levels of economic inequality and a generous welfare state, provides an important context for studying socioeconomic differentials in family structure. The authors find that, although differences by parent education in non-marital childbearing are substantial and persistent, cohabiting childbearing is common even among highly educated Swedish parents. Educational differences in family instability were small during the 1970s, but increased over time as a result of rising union disruption among less-educated parents (secondary graduates or less). Children in more advantaged families experienced substantially less change in family structure and instability over the study period. Although cohabiting parents were more likely to separate than parents married at the child's birth, differences were greater for the less-educated. Data limitations precluded investigating these differences across time. They conclude that educational differences in children's living arrangements in Sweden have grown, but remain small in international comparisons." (author's abstract)

Schlagwörter:Schweden; Kind; Lebenssituation; Wohlfahrtsstaat; Ehe; nichteheliche Lebensgemeinschaft; nichteheliches Kind; Lebensgemeinschaft; Ehescheidung; Familie; Eltern-Kind-Beziehung; Elternbildung; Bildung; Struktur; historische Entwicklung; internationaler Vergleich; Hochschulbildung; niedrig Qualifizierter; hoch Qualifizierter

CEWS Kategorie:Bildung und Erziehung, Vereinbarkeit Familie-Beruf

Verfügbarkeit:http://dx.doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2010.23.17

Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz

Inhalt: "This article studies continued childbearing and union stability among 'power couples', or dual-career couples. The determinants of these events are analyzed multivariately using longitudinal data on couples from population registers in Sweden, 1991-2005. Power couples are identified using their levels and fields of education, and their sectors of employment. Income and other variables are controlled for. The results show that power couples are more likely to continue childbearing, and are less likely to separate, than other couples. This implies that, despite the expected higher opportunity costs of childbearing and the small gains to specialization, power couples who start families are able to combine career and continued childbearing." (author's abstract)

Schlagwörter:Schweden; Familie; Familie-Beruf; Partnerschaft; Mann; Ehe; Stabilität; Analyse; Karriere; Theorie; Bildung; Elite; Beschäftigung; Fruchtbarkeit; Lebensalter; Dual Career Couple

CEWS Kategorie:Berufsbiographie und Karriere, Vereinbarkeit Familie-Beruf

Verfügbarkeit:http://dx.doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2010.23.30

Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz

Inhalt: "Germany is a low-fertility country with a rapidly ageing population, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. There are several reasons for this trend. Germany is among the countries with the highest rates of childlessness in the world, and childlessness has become widely accepted. This is illustrated by changes in living arrangements. A broad range of living arrangements has been added to the basic model of marriage with children; namely, single living, non-marital cohabitation, lone parenthood, patchwork families and living apart together. A culture of individualism has spread in Germany which forms the basis for widespread decisions against family formation. The desired number of children has become low and family policy is considered to be a failure in terms of its influence on fertility. German family policy has had a traditional orientation centred on monetary support to families and on the promotion of the male breadwinner model. Women have been largely forced to choose between family and work, and leave the labour market when a child is born. The still prevailing concept of family policy does not help to reduce the pressure to choose between work and family life, and thus makes it easier to decide not to have children, especially for highly educated women. A change in family policy is needed which will enable couples to choose between the breadwinner-housewife and the reconciliation model. Gradually, this change is starting to take place." (author's abstract)

Schlagwörter:Fruchtbarkeit; Geburtenhäufigkeit; Geburt; Quantität; Familienpolitik; demographische Alterung; Bevölkerungsentwicklung; Kinderlosigkeit; Determinanten; Akzeptanz; Einstellung; Lebensstil; Alleinstehender; Elternschaft; Individualismus; Familie; ökonomische Faktoren; Familie-Beruf; Frauenerwerbstätigkeit

CEWS Kategorie:Demographie und Bevölkerungsfragen, Vereinbarkeit Familie-Beruf

Verfügbarkeit:http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol19/17/19-17.p...

Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz

Inhalt: "The recent rapid increase in divorce, along with its distinctive cultural and welfare environments for single-parent families, makes Korea an interesting case for examining effects of single parenthood on children's education. Using data from Korean 9th and 12th graders, the author compares the levels of educational aspiration and student disengagement between students with two parents and those with a single parent, distinguishing divorced single fathers, widowed single fathers, divorced single mothers, and widowed single mothers. Logistic regression analyses show that students with a divorced single parent, regardless of gender of the parent, are much less likely to aspire to four-year university education and more likely to be disengaged than their counterparts with two parents. The effects of widowhood disappear once control variables are held constant. Lower household income among single-parent families explains in part the poorer educational outcomes of their children. Parent-child interaction is another important mediating factor for the effect of single fatherhood but not for single motherhood. The relevance of the extended family system and distinctive features of post-divorce living arrangements in Korea is discussed to understand the effects of single parenthood." (author's abstract)

Schlagwörter:Südkorea; allein erziehender Elternteil; Auswirkung; Kind; Bildungsverhalten; Studium; Studienverlauf; Vergleich; Ehescheidung; Vater; Mutter; Witwe; Einkommen; Eltern-Kind-Beziehung; Familie; Familieneinkommen; Familiensituation; Ostasien; Asien

CEWS Kategorie:Europa und Internationales, Studium und Studierende, Vereinbarkeit Familie-Beruf

Verfügbarkeit:http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol18/13/18-13.p...

Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz

Inhalt: Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die Rolle der Ausbildung von Frauen beim Übergang zum zweiten Kind unter Verwendung von Daten des deutschen Mikrozensus aus dem Jahr 1997. Die Autorin beginnt ihre Analyse mit einem einfachen Modell, das positive Effekte auf die Ausbildung von westdeutschen Frauen bei der Übergangsrate zum zweiten Kind zeigt. Es wird argumentiert, dass dieser Effekt wahrscheinlich durch verschiedene Faktoren verzerrt wird. Erstens wird angenommen, dass es einen zeitdrückenden Effekt gibt, der die Übergangsrate zum zweiten Kind für besser ausgebildete Frauen erhöht. Zweitens (Partnerhypothese) argumentiert die Autorin, dass besser ausgebildete Frauen häufig mit besser ausgebildeten Partnern leben, die das finanzielle Potential haben, sich eine große Familie leisten zu können. Drittens (Selektionshypothese) wird argumentiert, dass der positive Effekt der Ausbildung der Frauen einem Selbstselektionseffekt zugeschrieben werden kann. Die empirischen Untersuchungen stützen besonders die zweite und dritte Hypothese. Nachdem die Eigenschaften der Partner kontrolliert wurden und unbeobachtete Heterogenitätsfaktoren einbezogen wurden, wird der positive Effekt der weiblichen Ausbildung stark negativ. (ICDÜbers)

Inhalt: "This paper investigates the role of women's education in the transition to the second child using data from the 1997 German micro-census. We begin our analysis with a simple model, which shows a positive effect of woman's education on the transition rate to the second child for West German women. We argue that this effect is most likely confounded by various factors. Firstly, we assume that there is a time-squeeze effect, which increases the transition rate to the second child for more highly educated women. Secondly, titled as the partner hypothesis, we argue that more highly educated women often live with more highly educated partners who have the earning potential to afford a large family. Thirdly, titled as the selection hypothesis, we argue that the positive effect of women's education can be attributed to a selection effect, i.e. family-oriented college graduates are more likely to select themselves into the group of women at risk of second birth. The empirical investigations particularly support the second and third hypotheses. After controlling for the partner's characteristics and including unobserved heterogeneity factors, the positive effect of female education becomes strongly negative." (author's abstract)

Schlagwörter:alte Bundesländer; Hochschulbildung; Mutter; Mutterschaft; Kind; Ausbildungsstand; Familie; Partnerbeziehung; Einkommen; Einkommensverhältnisse; Schwangerschaft

CEWS Kategorie:Berufsbiographie und Karriere, Vereinbarkeit Familie-Beruf

Verfügbarkeit:http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol7/2/7-2.pdf

Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz