Family Influences on Family Size Preferences

Axinn, William G.; Clarkberg, Marin; Thornton, Arland

doi:10.2307/2061908

Cited by 195 publications

(187 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Following Axinn et al (1994) and Lyngstad and Prskawetz (2010), in the present study, we focus on intra-family social interaction effects on fertility, and specifically on siblings' interactions. While past demographic research has considered siblings as an instrument to control for genetic or shared environmental effects (e.g.…”

Section: Intra-familial Interaction: Cross-sibling Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, siblings are a primary, strong and often stable component of an individual's personal network, since relationships among siblings are likely to be close and long-lasting throughout the life course. Siblings can act as role models (Haurin and Mott 1990), be a source of information on life course transitions (Bernardi 2003) or, through their behaviour, reinforce already existent family attitudes, values or influence (Axinn et al 1994).…”

Section: Intra-familial Interaction: Cross-sibling Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Montgomery and Casterline 1996;Bongaarts and Watkins 1996;Kohler 2001;Bernardi 2003). Following Axinn et al (1994) and Lyngstad and Prskawetz (2010), we operationalise this aspect via sibling interactions and specifically test whether the presence of young children of a sibling impacts the realisation of fertility intentions. Our aim, therefore, is to empirically test whether family social capital and intra-familial social interaction may be another factor to explain the gap between intentions and behaviour.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bühler and Philipov 2005;Philipov et al 2006), but not on the impact of the realisation of these intentions. Although already a few studies have examined the impact of cross-sibling effects or sibling interaction on fertility behaviour (Bernardi 2003), they have focused on the number of nieces and nephews in relation to the number of children (Axinn et al 1994) or on an individual's fertility timing (Lyngstad and Prskawetz 2010) and not on the realisation of fertility intentions. A second related contribution is the fact that we focus not only on the realisation of fertility intentions in general, but our aim is to examine whether family social capital and sibling interaction operate differently for first versus higher-order births.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The influence of the family network on the realisation of fertility intentions

Balbo

Mills

2012

Populationyearbook

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The gap between fertility intentions and behaviour remains a contentious area of theoretical, methodological and policy debate. Previous fertility studies have focused on individual and institutional characteristics, at the expense of the recognition of meso-level family social capital and networks. This study examines the realisation of time-dependent fertility intentions for the transition to first and higher-order births. Building upon and extending the previous literature we explore two competing theoretical mechanisms of how high levels of family social capital operate to either enable or inhibit the realisation of intentions and the impact of cross-sibling effects. Using two waves of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Survey (NKPS), we also introduce a methodological extension by examining whether the inclusion of only those with positive fertility intentions in previous research has resulted in selection bias. By adopting a probit model with sample selection, we both avoid this selection problem and empirically test whether there is a bias. Results show that there are some, albeit negligible, unobserved characteristics affecting both an individual's fertility intentions and the realisation of these intentions. High levels of family social capital operate to deter from having a child, particularly when individuals already have at least one child, suggesting that individuals adopt a 'satisficing' strategy. Our findings also suggest that children may operate as a means to generate family social capital. Having a sibling with a young child is associated with a higher probability to realise one's own intention to have a first child.

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Section: Intra-familial Interaction: Cross-sibling Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Intra-familial Interaction: Cross-sibling Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The influence of the family network on the realisation of fertility intentions

Balbo

Mills

2012

Populationyearbook

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“…According to the authors, one of the possible mechanisms responsible for the relationship between contextual childbearing features and individual behaviour may be the social learning process between young and old that does not necessarily have to go through the children-parent relationship, although the family context may take a very important role (Axinn et al 1994;Murphy 1999;Fernández and Fogli 2005). However, further analysis would be needed to investigate which mechanism lies behind the intergenerational transmission of ideal family size.…”

Section: Lft-2: Declines In Ideal Family Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

The Low Fertility Trap Hypothesis. Forces that May Lead to Further Postponement and Fewer Births in Europe

Lutz

Skirbekk²,

Testa³

2008

Populationyearbook

191

135

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This paper starts from the assessment that there is no good theory in the social sciences that would tell us whether fertility in low-fertility countries is likely to recover in the future, stay around its current level or continue to fall. This question is key to the discussion whether or not governments should take action aimed at influencing the fertility rate. To enhance the scholarly discussion in this field, the paper introduces a clearly defined hypothesis which describes plausible self-reinforcing mechanisms that would result, if unchecked, in a continued decrease of the number of births in the countries affected. This hypothesis has three components: a demographic one based on the negative population growth momentum, i.e., the fact that fewer potential mothers in the future will result in fewer births; a sociological one based on the assumption that ideal family size for the younger cohorts is declining as a consequence of the lower actual fertility they see in previous cohorts; and an economic one based on the first part of Easterlin's (1980) relative income hypothesis, namely, that fertility results from the combination of aspirations and expected income, and assuming that aspirations of young adults are on an increasing trajectory while the expected income for the younger cohorts declines, partly as a consequence of population ageing induced by low fertility. All three factors would work towards a downward spiral in births in the future. If there is reason to assume that such mechanisms will indeed be at work, then this should strengthen the motivation of governments to take immediate action (possibly through policies addressing the tempo effect) in order to still escape from the expected trap. *

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