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Socioeconomic status and fertility before, during, and after the demographic transition: An introduction

Dribe, Martin LU ; Oris, Michel and Pozzi, Lucia (2014) In Demographic Research 31(7). p.161-182
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Despite a long interest in the historical fertility transition, there is still a lack of knowledge about disaggregated patterns that could help us understand the mechanisms behind the transition. In previous research the widely held view is that there was a change in the association between social status and fertility in conjunction with the fertility transition, implying that fertility went from being positively connected to social status (higher status was connected with higher fertility) to being negatively associated with fertility.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this collection is to study socioeconomic patterns in the fertility transition in a variety of contexts using similar approaches and measures of... (More)
BACKGROUND

Despite a long interest in the historical fertility transition, there is still a lack of knowledge about disaggregated patterns that could help us understand the mechanisms behind the transition. In previous research the widely held view is that there was a change in the association between social status and fertility in conjunction with the fertility transition, implying that fertility went from being positively connected to social status (higher status was connected with higher fertility) to being negatively associated with fertility.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this collection is to study socioeconomic patterns in the fertility transition in a variety of contexts using similar approaches and measures of socioeconomic status.

METHOD

All contributions use different kinds of micro-level socioeconomic and demographic data and statistical models in the analysis. Data either come from census-like records or population registers.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no consistent evidence for the hypothesis that socioeconomic status was positively related to fertility before the demographic transition. While such a correlation was clearly present in some contexts it was clearly not in others. There is more support for the idea that the upper and middle classes acted as forerunners in the transition, while farmers especially were late to change their fertility behavior. It is also evident that both parity-specific stopping and prolonged birth intervals (spacing) were important in the fertility transition. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
adjustment, fertility transition, innovation-diffusion, social class
in
Demographic Research
volume
31
issue
7
pages
161 - 182
publisher
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
external identifiers
  • wos:000338713700001
  • scopus:84906066877
ISSN
1435-9871
DOI
10.4054/DemRes.2014.31.7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e7aefdd6-eca2-42f2-82d7-d22913baaee7 (old id 4560011)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:52:23
date last changed
2022-04-06 07:33:50
@article{e7aefdd6-eca2-42f2-82d7-d22913baaee7,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND<br/><br>
Despite a long interest in the historical fertility transition, there is still a lack of knowledge about disaggregated patterns that could help us understand the mechanisms behind the transition. In previous research the widely held view is that there was a change in the association between social status and fertility in conjunction with the fertility transition, implying that fertility went from being positively connected to social status (higher status was connected with higher fertility) to being negatively associated with fertility.<br/><br>
OBJECTIVE<br/><br>
The aim of this collection is to study socioeconomic patterns in the fertility transition in a variety of contexts using similar approaches and measures of socioeconomic status.<br/><br>
METHOD<br/><br>
All contributions use different kinds of micro-level socioeconomic and demographic data and statistical models in the analysis. Data either come from census-like records or population registers.<br/><br>
CONCLUSIONS<br/><br>
There is no consistent evidence for the hypothesis that socioeconomic status was positively related to fertility before the demographic transition. While such a correlation was clearly present in some contexts it was clearly not in others. There is more support for the idea that the upper and middle classes acted as forerunners in the transition, while farmers especially were late to change their fertility behavior. It is also evident that both parity-specific stopping and prolonged birth intervals (spacing) were important in the fertility transition.}},
  author       = {{Dribe, Martin and Oris, Michel and Pozzi, Lucia}},
  issn         = {{1435-9871}},
  keywords     = {{adjustment; fertility transition; innovation-diffusion; social class}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{161--182}},
  publisher    = {{Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research}},
  series       = {{Demographic Research}},
  title        = {{Socioeconomic status and fertility before, during, and after the demographic transition: An introduction}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3637886/4580099.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.4054/DemRes.2014.31.7}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}