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Socio-economic status and fertility decline: Insights from historical transitions in Europe and North America

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Listed:
  • Martin Dribe
  • Marco Breschi
  • Alain Gagnon
  • Danielle Gauvreau
  • Heidi A. Hanson
  • Thomas N. Maloney
  • Stanislao Mazzoni
  • Joseph Molitoris
  • Lucia Pozzi
  • Ken R. Smith
  • Hélène Vézina

Abstract

The timings of historical fertility transitions in different regions are well understood by demographers, but much less is known regarding their specific features and causes. In the study reported in this paper, we used longitudinal micro-level data for five local populations in Europe and North America to analyse the relationship between socio-economic status and fertility during the fertility transition. Using comparable analytical models and class schemes for each population, we examined the changing socio-economic differences in marital fertility and related these to common theories on fertility behaviour. Our results do not provide support for the hypothesis of universally high fertility among the upper classes in pre-transitional society, but do support the idea that the upper classes acted as forerunners by reducing their fertility before other groups. Farmers and unskilled workers were the latest to start limiting their fertility. Apart from these similarities, patterns of class differences in fertility varied significantly between populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Dribe & Marco Breschi & Alain Gagnon & Danielle Gauvreau & Heidi A. Hanson & Thomas N. Maloney & Stanislao Mazzoni & Joseph Molitoris & Lucia Pozzi & Ken R. Smith & Hélène Vézina, 2017. "Socio-economic status and fertility decline: Insights from historical transitions in Europe and North America," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 71(1), pages 3-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpstxx:v:71:y:2017:i:1:p:3-21
    DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2016.1253857
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gregory Clark, 2007. "Introduction to A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World," Introductory Chapters, in: A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World, Princeton University Press.
    2. Easterlin, Richard A. & Crimmins, Eileen M., 1985. "The Fertility Revolution," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226180298, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bhattacharya, Joydeep & Chakraborty, Shankha & Kim, Minkyong, 2023. "Child survival and contraception choice: Theory and evidence," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Brian Beach & W. Walker Hanlon, 2019. "Censorship, Family Planning, and the Historical Fertility Transition," NBER Working Papers 25752, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Andrés F. Castro Torres, 2020. "Analysis of Latin American fertility change in terms of probable social classes," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2020-001, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    4. Connor, Dylan, 2021. "In the name of the father? Fertility, religion and child naming in the demographic transition," SocArXiv jndqu, Center for Open Science.
    5. Maarten J. Bijlsma & Ben Wilson, 2020. "Modelling the socio‐economic determinants of fertility: a mediation analysis using the parametric g‐formula," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 183(2), pages 493-513, February.
    6. Atta Ullah & Zhao Kui & Saif Ullah & Chen Pinglu & Saba Khan, 2021. "Sustainable Utilization of Financial and Institutional Resources in Reducing Income Inequality and Poverty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-25, January.
    7. Thomas N. Maloney & Heidi Hanson & Ken Smith, 2014. "Occupation and fertility on the frontier," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(29), pages 853-886.
    8. Sebastian Klüsener & Martin Dribe & Francesco Scalone, 2019. "Spatial and Social Distance at the Onset of the Fertility Transition: Sweden, 1880–1900," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 169-199, February.
    9. Martin Dribe & Omar Karlsson, 2022. "Inequality in early life: Social class differences in childhood mortality in southern Sweden, 1815–1967," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 75(2), pages 475-502, May.
    10. Thompson, Kristina & Portrait, France & Lindeboom, Maarten, 2022. "Is paternal height related to fertility outcomes? Evidence from the Netherlands during the secular growth trend," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    11. Bijlsma, Maarten J. & Wilson, Ben, 2020. "Modelling the socio-economic determinants of fertility: a mediation analysis using the parametric g-formula," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 102414, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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