IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/mpifgd/154.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Culture's influence regionally differing social milieus and variations in fertility rates

Author

Listed:
  • Fulda, Barbara

Abstract

How can we understand subnational differences in fertility rates? The most common explanations see the key to these differences in the socio-structural composition of a region's population and its structural conditions. However, such explanations fail to account for fertility rate differences in regions with similar populations and structures. This paper analyzes two social milieus in southern Germany and argues that variations in their fertility rates can only be understood through their cultural differences. Family extension patterns as well as opportunity structures (such as the availability of childcare facilities) are substantially influenced by the regionally differing cultural norms formed and held by social milieu members. To better explain differences in fertility rates and to understand the regionally differing effects of family policy measures, demographic research therefore needs to include culture in its understanding of demographic behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Fulda, Barbara, 2015. "Culture's influence regionally differing social milieus and variations in fertility rates," MPIfG Discussion Paper 15/4, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:mpifgd:154
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/110618/1/826306829.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. Debra Friedman & Michael Hechter & Satoshi Kanazawa, 1994. "A theory of the value of children," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 31(3), pages 375-401, August.
    3. repec:dgr:rugsom:02f65 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Martin Spielauer, 2005. "Concentration of Reproduction in Austria: General Trends and Differentials by Educational Attainment and Urban-Rural Setting," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 3(1), pages 171-195.
    5. Streeck, Wolfgang, 2009. "Flexible employment, flexible families, and the socialization of reproduction," MPIfG Working Paper 09/13, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    6. Gary S. Becker, 1981. "A Treatise on the Family," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck81-1.
    7. Martin Spielauer, 2005. "Concentration of reproduction in Austria: general trends and differentials by educational attainment and urban-rural setting," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2005-012, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    8. Laurent Toulemon, 2011. "Should governments in Europe be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility? The first "YES"," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 24(7), pages 179-200.
    9. Hill Kulu & Nadja Milewski, 2007. "Family change and migration in the life course," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 17(19), pages 567-590.
    10. Hill Kulu, 2005. "Migration and Fertility: Competing Hypotheses Re-examined," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 21(1), pages 51-87, March.
    11. H. Kulu & P. J. Boyle, 2009. "High Fertility in City Suburbs: Compositional or Contextual Effects?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 25(2), pages 157-174, May.
    12. Sobotka, Tomás & Adigüzel, Feray, 2002. "Religiosity and spatial demographic differences in the Netherlands," Research Report 02F65, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    13. Mayntz, Renate, 2003. "Mechanisms in the analysis of macro-social phenomena," MPIfG Working Paper 03/3, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    14. Philip E. Ogden & Ray Hall, 2000. "Households, Reurbanisation and the Rise of Living Alone in the Principal French Cities, 1975-90," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(2), pages 367-390, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Janna Bergsvik, 2019. "Linking neighbors’ fertility. Third births in Norwegian neighborhoods," Discussion Papers 898, Statistics Norway, Research Department.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barbara Fulda, 2015. "Culture’s Influence: Regionally Differing Social Milieus and Variations in Fertility Rates," Working Papers id:6998, eSocialSciences.
    2. Nicoletta Balbo & Francesco C. Billari & Melinda Mills, 2013. "Fertility in Advanced Societies: A Review of Research," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 29(1), pages 1-38, February.
    3. Nadja Milewski, 2010. "Immigrant fertility in West Germany: Is there a socialization effect in transitions to second and third births? [Fécondité des immigrées en Allemagne de l’Ouest: existe-t-il un effet de la socializ," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 26(3), pages 297-323, August.
    4. Sergi Vidal & Johannes Huinink & Michael Feldhaus, 2017. "Fertility Intentions and Residential Relocations," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(4), pages 1305-1330, August.
    5. Allan Puur & Leen Rahnu & Liili Abuladze & Luule Sakkeus & Sergei Zakharov, 2017. "Childbearing among first- and second-generation Russians in Estonia against the background of the sending and host countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(41), pages 1209-1254.
    6. Allan Puur & Leen Rahnu & Tiit Tammaru, 2023. "Neighbourhoods and Workplaces: Are They Related to the Fertility of Immigrants and Their Descendants? A Register-Based Study of Finland, 1999–2014," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 209-231, March.
    7. Francesco C. Billari & Dimiter Philipov & Maria Rita Testa, 2009. "Attitudes, Norms and Perceived Behavioural Control: Explaining Fertility Intentions in Bulgaria [Attitudes, normes et contrôle perçu du comportement: Une explication des intentions de fécondité en ," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 25(4), pages 439-465, November.
    8. Bilal Barakat & Rachel Durham, 2013. "Drop-out mayors and graduate farmers: Educational fertility differentials by occupational status and industry in six European countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(42), pages 1213-1262.
    9. Synøve Andersen & Alícia Adserà & Marianne Tønnessen, 2023. "Municipality Characteristics and the Fertility of Refugees in Norway," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 165-208, March.
    10. Martin Spielauer & Thomas Horvath & Marian Fink, 2020. "microWELT: A Dynamic Microsimulation Model for the Study of Welfare Transfer Flows in Ageing Societies from a Comparative Welfare State Perspective," WIFO Working Papers 609, WIFO.
    11. Hande Inanc, 2015. "Unemployment and the timing of parenthood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(7), pages 219-250.
    12. Bohyun Jang & John Casterline & Anastasia Snyder, 2014. "Migration and marriage: Modeling the joint process," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(47), pages 1339-1366.
    13. Karen Benjamin Guzzo, 2014. "New Partners, More Kids," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 654(1), pages 66-86, July.
    14. Gerda Neyer & Trude Lappegård & Daniele Vignoli, 2013. "Gender Equality and Fertility: Which Equality Matters?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 29(3), pages 245-272, August.
    15. Katharina Wolf, 2014. "Fertility of Turkish migrants in Germany: duration of stay matters," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2014-001, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    16. Vera Lomazzi & Sabine Israel & Isabella Crespi, 2018. "Gender Equality in Europe and the Effect of Work-Family Balance Policies on Gender-Role Attitudes," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-29, December.
    17. Leen Rahnu & Allan Puur & Luule Sakkeus & Martin Klesment, 2015. "Partnership dynamics among migrants and their descendants in Estonia," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(56), pages 1519-1566.
    18. Júlia Mikolai & Hill Kulu, 2018. "Divorce, Separation, and Housing Changes: A Multiprocess Analysis of Longitudinal Data from England and Wales," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(1), pages 83-106, February.
    19. Daniele Vignoli & Alessandra Minello & Giacomo Bazzani & Camilla Matera & Chiara Rapallini, 2022. "Narratives of the Future Affect Fertility: Evidence from a Laboratory Experiment," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(1), pages 93-124, March.
    20. Pinar, Candas & Almeling, Rene & Gadarian, Shana Kushner, 2018. "Does genetic risk for common adult diseases influence reproductive plans? Evidence from a national survey experiment in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 62-68.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:mpifgd:154. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/mpigfde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.