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The influence of a supportive environment for families on women’s fertility intentions and behavior in South Korea

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  • Soo-Yeon Yoon

    (Sonoma State University)

Abstract

Background: Recent theories of low fertility emphasize the increasing importance of support for the family in changing gender roles toward egalitarianism. In a context of weak institutional support for families and low levels of gender equity, do family policies influence individual fertility? Moreover, might support from other sources, such as men’s involvement in the family or grandparental childcare assistance, positively influence fertility intentions and behavior? Objective: I examine the influence of three sources of a supportive environment for families – the state, husbands, and parents or in-laws – on women’s fertility intentions and behavior regarding second children. Methods: Using data from three waves of the Korean Longitudinal Survey for Women and Families, I measured supportive environments by knowledge of family policy, men’s involvement in housework and childcare, and grandparental childcare assistance. I then studied these factors with binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The findings suggest that supportive environments for the family have a stronger effect on fertility behavior than on fertility intentions. Women who are knowledgeable about childcare leave reserved for use by fathers are more likely to have a second child than women who do not know about it. Support from husbands for housework and childcare and intensive childcare assistance from coresiding parents or in-laws increase the likelihood of a second birth. Contribution: These findings contribute to our theoretical understanding of the interplay between the welfare state and the family in studies of fertility. Moreover, the findings have unique implications for very low fertility in countries with limited and fragmented state support of families.

Suggested Citation

  • Soo-Yeon Yoon, 2017. "The influence of a supportive environment for families on women’s fertility intentions and behavior in South Korea," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(7), pages 227-254.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:36:y:2017:i:7
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2017.36.7
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wang, Ye & Zhao, Xindong, 2022. "Grandparental childcare, maternal labor force participation, and the birth of a second child: Further knowledge from empirical analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 762-770.
    3. Soomin Ryu & Jinhee Kim, 2021. "The influence of time, resource, and gender ideology on the division of domestic work in Korea," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 1373-1397, December.
    4. Menghan Zhao, 2018. "From Motherhood Premium to Motherhood Penalty? Heterogeneous Effects of Motherhood Stages on Women’s Economic Outcomes in Urban China," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(6), pages 967-1002, December.
    5. Victor Leocádio & Ana Paula Verona & Simone Wajnman, 2025. "A review of research of the relationship between gender equity and fertility in low-fertility settings," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 1-26, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    low fertility; gender equity; childcare; welfare state; family policy; South Korea; East Asia; grandparental childcare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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