One of the explanations for differences in
childbearing behaviour across and within countries that have been suggested is
that norms on childbearing behaviour may influence the actual behaviour of
individuals. Variations within countries could be the result of different norms
that prevail in different subgroups within a society. Variations across
countries could be due to different norms in the respective countries. This
report studies (1) what kinds of norms exist in Europe with regard to
childbearing issues, (2) how large the variation in childbearing norms across Europe is and (3) how cross-national variation in childbearing
norms can be explained. It uses data from the 2006 wave of the European Social
Survey, which was conducted in 25 European countries. A representative sample
of approximately 1,500 respondents was interviewed in each country Norms_fertility-behaviour.pdf (41-page report)