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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Determinants of Childbearing: A Review of the Literature
Contributor:
Schleutker, Elina
Published:
Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2014
Published in:
Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 43 (2014) 3, Seite 192-211
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1515/zfsoz-2014-0303
ISSN:
2366-0325;
0340-1804
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
SummaryThis paper presents a broad review of the determinants of childbearing with a special focus on Germany. Fertility decline, cross-country differences, and the gap between desired and realized fertility are addressed by discussing the evidence related to four theoretical arguments: change in values, family policy, economic theory on fertility, and preference theory. Each of the theories reviewed provides a partial explanation of the low fertility puzzle, but none of the theories alone is able to fully explain low fertility. The paper closes with the argument that more attention needs to be paid to the effect size of the different variables, women’s preferences, and interdisciplinary research.