Gender and generations dimensions in welfare-state policies

This note outlines welfare-state research that could possibly provide a framework for the collection of demographically relevant gender- and generation-sensitive welfare-state data for the GGS contextual database. It has been prepared for the Gender-and-Generations Program and is the basis of further work of the Contextual Working Group of the Gender-and-Generations Program. First, this note summarizes results of demographic research that deals with the effects of public policies on demographic behavior. This is followed by a brief outline of what kind of data we need for (comparative) research of policy effects on demographic issues. Secondly, it gives a brief account of those conceptualizations of the welfare state that seem relevant for the purpose of our project. Thirdly, it presents a provisional and by no means complete list of some welfare-state-related measures that can be collected for a contextual database. This list serves as an example of what we need and how we should collect data in order to be able to incorporate features of welfare states and public policies in demographic analyses.

Family policies and fertility in Europe: fertility policies at the intersection of gender policies, employment policies and care policies

This article explores the relationship between family policies, fertility, employment and care. It suggests that similar family policies are likely to exert different effects in different contexts. It argues that a proper assessment of effects of family policies needs to take the combined spectrum of gender relations, welfare-state structures, and labor-market development into account.Europe, family policies, fertility

Education and permanent childlessness: Austria vs. Sweden; a research note

In this research note we extend our previous study of the association between educational attainment and permanent childlessness in Sweden (Hoem et al., 2006) to cover Austria, and we make comparisons between the two countries. In both investigations we have defined educational attainment in terms of both educational level and educational field. We find largely the same pattern of childlessness by educational field in both countries; in particular at each educational level women educated for teaching jobs or for health occupations typically have lower childlessness than other lines of education. However, for most groups childlessness is higher in Austria, and for academic educations it is much higher. We attribute these differences to institutional differences in the two countries which may bring about a different culture of reproductive behavior.Austria, education, fertility

Family policies and low fertility in Western Europe

This article examines current family policies in Western Europe against the backdrop of fertility decline in Europe. Its objective is to depict the nature of family policies from a cross-national perspective in order to illuminate potential relationships between them and demographic patterns. The article concentrates on those family policies that constitute the core of welfare-state policies related to childbearing and the rearing of children: Maternity policies, parental-leave policies, childcare services, and child benefits.

Fertilität, Familiengründung und Familienerweiterung in den nordischen Ländern

Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Geburtenentwicklung in den nordischen Ländern seit den 1970er Jahren und den Wirkungen familienpolitischer Maßnahmen auf die Fertilitätsentwicklung. Basis der Analysen bilden Auswertungen harmonisierter Registerdaten Dänemarks, Finnlands, Norwegens und Schwedens. Der erste Teil des Beitrags bietet einen Überblick über die Entwicklung der Fertilität in den nordischen Ländern nach Alter und Geburtenordnung. Dies erlaubt, gemeinsame von länderspezifischen Entwicklungen zu unterscheiden. Daran schließt sich eine Darstellung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Bildungsrichtungen und Fertilität. Im letzten Teil des Beitrages erörtern wir, welchen Einfluss familienpolitische Maßnahmen, insbesondere ein einkommensbezogenes Elterngeld, ein auf den Geburtenabstand bezogenes Elterngeld, sowie die Inanspruchnahme der Elternzeit durch Väter auf Geburtenverhalten und Geburtenentwicklung in den einzelnen Ländern hatten.Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, family policies, fertility

Cohort fertility patterns in the Nordic Countries

Previous analyses of period fertility suggest that the trends of the Nordic countries are sufficiently similar to speak of a common "Nordic fertility regime". We investigate whether this assumption can be corroborated by comparing cohort fertility patterns in the Nordic countries. We study cumulated and completed fertility of Nordic birth cohorts based on the childbearing histories of women born in 1935 and later derived from the population registers of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. We further explore childbearing behaviour by womenâs educational attainment. The results show remarkable similarities in postponement and recuperation between the countries and very small differences in completed fertility across educational groups. Median childbearing age is about 2−3 years higher in the 1960−64 cohort than in the 1950−54 cohort, but the younger cohort recuperates the fertility level of the older cohort at ages 30 and above. A similar pattern of recuperation can be observed for highly educated women as compared to women with less education. An interesting finding is that of a positive relationship between educational level and the final number of children when women who become mothers at similar ages are compared. Country differences in fertility outcome are generally rather low. Childlessness is highest in Finland and lowest in Norway, and the educational differentials are largest in Norway. Despite such differences, the cohort analyses in many ways support the notion of a common Nordic fertility regime.Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, cohort fertility

Kinderfreundlich und flexibel : Familienpolitik in den nordischen Ländern basiert auf Gleichheitsprinzip

Welchen Einfluss hat Familienpolitik auf die Geburtenrate? Studien zu den nordischen Ländern zeigen, dass die Wirkungen von familienpolitischen Maßnahmen auf die Fertilität stets im ökonomischen und sozialen Kontext eines Landes beurteilt werden müssen