Learning from others and receiving support: the impact of personal networks on fertility intentions in Poland

Research about fertility has focused in the main on studying separately the influences of communication networks and social capital on reproductive behavior, but it has rarely tried to integrate both network properties theoretically or analytically. We therefore discuss a general model of purposeful behavior that perceives individuals’ subjective perceptions of the utilities of different courses of action to be affected by structures of interpersonal influence. Resources needed to realize desired goals are furthermore shaped by exchange relationships that build social capital. These considerations are empirically applied to explanations of the intentions of 758 Polish men and women ever to have a first, second, or third child. Personal networks are especially relevant for the considerations to have a first or a second child. The intentions of childless respondents are positively influenced by network partners that are in a similar stage of their reproductive biographies or that have already taken the step of having a first child. However, respondents with one child intend to have a second child with a higher probability the more they have access to fertility-related social capital. (Keywords: interpersonal influence, social capital, fertility, rational choice, behavioral intentions, Poland)Poland, fertility determinants, influence, interpersonal communication, social capital, social network

Social capital and fertility intentions: the case of Poland

-Poland, fertility determinants, social capital

Polish Family and Fertility Survey: a user's guide

"This working paper is a result of the collaboration between researchers of the Sfb-project B6 'Household Dynamics and Social Inequalities - an International Comparison' and the Institute of Statistics and Demography, Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. This paper has several purposes. First, it should provide basic information on the goals of the PFFS survey and explain the data collection principles. Second, special attention will be given to the longitudinal nature of the PFFS and the methods that allow analyzing this type of data. Third, and most important, this User's Guide should provide help in practical research work with the PFFS. The reader will be introduced to the computer program TDA, designed by Götz Rohwer, which makes the use of a broad range of event history analysis techniques simple and convenient."Der polnische Fertilitäts- und Familiensurvey (PFFS) enthält retrospektive Longitudinaldaten über eine Anzahl von Prozessen im Lebenslauf der Individuen, der Familien und der Privathaushalte. Die national repräsentativen Daten enthalten weiterhin Angaben zur Bildung und Erziehung, dem Beschäftigungsstatus, der Migration, der Partnerschaftswahl, dem Wandel von Familienstrukturen und der Zusammensetzung der Haushalte. Die Erhebung ist in Umfang und der Qualität dem Sozioökonomischen Panel der Bundesrepublik Deutschland vergleichbar. Das Arbeitspapier liefert zunächst einige Grundinformationen zu den Zielen, zum Aufbau und zu den Prinzipien der Datenerhebung und -aufbereitung. Der primäre Zweck ist es, den Nutzern für Sekundäranalysen dieses Datenpools die entsprechenden institutionellen und technischen Hinweise zu liefern. (pre

Chapitre V. L’enquête « Histoire de vie familiale, professionnelle et migratoire » en Pologne

1. Préliminaires 1.1. Nom précis de l’enquête « Histoire de vie familiale, professionnelle et migratoire». Dans la langue d’origine : Polskie badanie retrospektywne 1988 « droga yciowa - biografia rodzinna, zawodowa I migracyjna ». 1.2. Problématique et objectifs Les principaux objectifs de l’enquête rétrospective polonaise de 1988 étaient : la reconstitution des histoires familiales, professionnelles et migratoires des personnes interrogées ; l’identification de la situation socio-économique..

Legal regulations related to demographic events and processes: selected legal regulations pertaining to children and family - social policy Poland, selected years 1950-2003

The following paper includes an overview of selected legal regulations divided into two parts and referring to: legal regulations related to demographic events and processes as well as to the regulation of selected benefits pertaining to children and family for the years 1945-2003. The illustration of the regulations between 1989 and 2003 is particularly detailed. The documentation is uniformly showing the date on which the regulation was passed in Parliament, the subject to regulation and the legal basis. The first section includes a chronological listing of legal acts and their changes that regulate: marriage, the family, divorce, separation, abortion and sexual education. Further, the institutions of divorce and separation according to Polish Law are discussed. In the second section the different benefits are divided into six distinct subgroups: insurance benefits pertaining to the family, non-insurance benefits pertaining to the family, maternity and child raising leaves, benefits from the alimony fund, family benefits from social assistance as well as other forms of help. The current benefits pertaining to the family are of twofold character: insurance benefits (financed through insurance contributions) and non-insurance benefits (financed through the state budget). The maternity and care allowances, regulated through the law on monetary benefits from social assistance in the case of illness and maternity (Journal of Law 1999 No. 60, item 636 and changes), belong to the insurance-type benefits. Some of the non-insurance benefits are: the family allowance, the care allowance, the child raising allowance, benefits from the alimony fund, benefits form social assistance such as: the one-time maternity allowance, the guaranteed temporary allowance, the permanent allowance as well as the monetary assistance for partial coverage of the living expenses on a foster child. According to our knowledge we cover all categories of means pertaining to children and family that were and are currently available in Poland

Polish Family and Fertility Survey A user's guide

'This working paper is a result of the collaboration between researchers of the Sfb-project B6 'Household Dynamics and Social Inequalities - An International Comparison' and the Institute of Statistics and Demography, Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. The Polish Fertility and Family Survey (PFFS) provides retrospective longitudinal data on a number of processes in the life course of individuals, families and households. It includes nationally representative data on education, labor force participation, migration, partnership formation, changing family composition and housing. Social scientists, in particular demographers, sociologist, and economists, can make use of this unique data source in addressing a number of fundamental questions on patterns and determinants of human behavior. Particularly important is that the longitudinal nature of the data allows assessing changes in these processes over time, and explaining how social change and individual life course are interrelated. This paper has several purposes. First, it should provide basic information on the goals of the PFFS survey and explain the data collection principles. This is particularly important for 'secondary' researchers who were not responsible for directing 'primary' data collection. Brief review of the study design, sampling plan, and field procedures should provide the background for an informed secondary analysis. Topics covered in the study and the list of variables available within specific sections will also be presented. Second, special attention will be given to the longitudinal nature of the PFFS and the methods that allow analyzing this type of data. Basic principles of event history analysis, as well as general information on managing event-oriented data structures, should help beginners in this new research area to better understand the conceptual issues involved, and gain confidence in applying event history analysis to their own research. Third, and most important, this user's guide should provide help in practical research work with the PFFS. The reader will be introduced to the computer program TDA, designed by Goetz Rohwer, which makes the use of a broad range of event history analysis techniques simple and convenient. The PFFS files have been conveniently stored in a compressed archive form. The section on data files and their structure supplies researchers with the necessary tools to assess variables needed for the analysis. In addition, several practical examples on specific research questions will show how empirical analysis has been conducted using TDA. Examples include TDA command files that manipulate the data set and perform the analysis, as well as outputs and a brief interpretation of results. Thus, readers who have access to the PFFS data set are given the opportunity to easily run and modify the application examples on their own personal computers. At a next step, researchers can apply the acquired knowledge to their own specific research questions.' (extract)Der polnische Fertilitaets- und Familiensurvey (PFFS) enthaelt retrospektive Longitudinaldaten ueber eine Anzahl von Prozessen im Lebenslauf der Individuen, der Familien und der Privathaushalte. Die national repraesentativen Daten enthalten weiterhin Angaben zur Bildung und Erziehung, dem Beschaeftigungsstatus, der Migration, der Partnerschaftswahl, dem Wandel von Familienstrukturen und der Zusammensetzung der Haushalte. Die Erhebung ist in Umfang und der Qualitaet dem Soziooekonomischen Panel der Bundesrepublik Deutschland vergleichbar. Das Arbeitspapier liefert zunaechst einige Grundinformationen zu den Zielen, zum Aufbau und zu den Prinzipien der Datenerhebung und -aufbereitung. Der primaere Zweck ist es, den Nutzern fuer Sekundaeranalysen dieses Datenpools die entsprechenden institutionellen und technischen Hinweise zu liefern. (pre)German title: Die polnische Familie und der Fertilitaets-Survey: ein Leitfaden fuer NutzerAvailable from UuStB Koeln(38)-980106415 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Social capital and fertility intentions The case of Poland

Die neuere Forschung zum Geburtenverhalten betont zunehmend die Bedeutung sozialer Netzwerke als Medium, durch das Individuen etwas ueber demographisches Verhalten lernen. Soziale Netzwerke koennen jedoch auch Ressourcen bereitstellen, die die Kosten von Kindern verringern helfen und Sozialkapital mit Bezug zu generativem Verhalten akkumulieren. Auf der Basis einer retrospektiven Befragung in Polen aus dem Jahr 2001 untersuchen die Verfasser die Auswirkungen von Sozialkapital, gemessen an der Anzahl von Unterstuetzungsbeziehungen, ueber die ein Individuum verfuegt, auf die Absicht, ein zweites Kind zu bekommen. Eine Regressionsanalyse zeigt eine positive Beziehung zwischen der Anzahl der Unterstuetzungsbeziehungen und der Entscheidung fuer ein zweites Kind. Dieser Einfluss geht vor allem auf die Anzahl der Eltern in einem sozialen Netzwerk zurueck, aber auch auf die Anzahl hilfreicher Freunde und Kollegen. (ICEUebers)'Research on fertility draws increasing attention on the significance of social networks as a medium by which individuals learn about demographic behavior. However, social networks can also be sources of valuable resources that help to reduce the costs of having children and that build a stock of fertility-related social capital. Based on data from the Polish Retrospective Survey in 2001, the impact of social capital, measured by an individual's number of supportive exchange relationships, on intentions to have a second child is explored. Results from ordered logit regressions report positive associations between the number of exchange relationships and the intention for a second child. This influence is primarily exerted by the number of parents in the networks, but also by the number of supportive friends and colleagues.' (author's abstract)German title: Sozialkapital und Kinderwunsch: das Beispiel PolenAvailable from Max-Planck-Institut fuer demografische Forschung, Rostock (DE) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman