Work package 3: Contextualised micro level: fertility intentions

Work package leader

Jane Klobas
Carlo F. Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics
Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi
viale Isonzo,25
20136 Milano
Italy
E-mail: jane.klobas@unibocconi.it

Objective

To understand psychological factors that impede or encourage individuals and couples to develop intentions to have a child or to postpone childbearing and to compare these across countries and typical cases.

Description of work

This work package takes a social psychological approach to the study of fertility decision- making. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) provides a guiding framework. Data are drawn from the GGS (Generations and Gender Surveys) and other suitable data files including a large panel study of Bulgarian households. Key activities include:

Task 1. Harmonisation of the GGS data related to fertility decision-making across the eight countries to be included in the REPRO study and preparation of a written report which describes the data and any differences in the nature of questions or interpretations across the different languages and countries in which the GGS was administered.

Task 2. Measurement of internal and external motivations to have children and perceived constraints on fertility and identification of differences in these factors between countries, country groups and the typical cases identified in work package 2.

Task 3. Modelling of the relative influences of internal motivation, external motivation and perceived constraints on fertility decisions. Statistical techniques such as multi-level structural equation modelling will be used. In interpreting the results of these analyses, we will draw on data from the ISSP Social Networks 2001 and Family 2002 surveys, the insights of team members based in the different countries, the macro level analyses completed in work package 2 and the qualitative analyses conducted in work package 5.

Task 4. Extending the TPB to decision-making by couples using Bulgarian and Italian data.

Deliverables

  • Harmonised GGS data set and report.
  • An empirical paper on use of the TPB to model fertility intentions.
  • A paper on the results of TPB modelling of couple’s fertility decision-making.