Socio-economic status and fertility decline : Insights from historical transitions in Europe and North America

Dribe, Martin (author): Lund University,Lunds universitet,Ekonomisk-historiska institutionen,Ekonomihögskolan,Department of Economic History,Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM

(creator_code:org_t)

2016-11-25
2017
English 19 s.
In: Population Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1477-4747 .- 0032-4728. ; 71:1, s. 3-21

Related links:: http://dx.doi.org/10...; show more...; https://europepmc.or...; https://lup.lub.lu.s...; https://doi.org/10.1...; show less...

Abstract Subject headings

The timings of historical fertility transitions in different regions are well understood by demographers, but much less is known regarding their specific features and causes. In the study reported in this paper, we used longitudinal micro-level data for five local populations in Europe and North America to analyse the relationship between socio-economic status and fertility during the fertility transition. Using comparable analytical models and class schemes for each population, we examined the changing socio-economic differences in marital fertility and related these to common theories on fertility behaviour. Our results do not provide support for the hypothesis of universally high fertility among the upper classes in pre-transitional society, but do support the idea that the upper classes acted as forerunners by reducing their fertility before other groups. Farmers and unskilled workers were the latest to start limiting their fertility. Apart from these similarities, patterns of class differences in fertility varied significantly between populations.

By the author/editor: Dribe, Martin; Breschi, Marco; Gagnon, Alain; Gauvreau, Daniel ...; Hanson, Heidi A.; Maloney, Thomas ...; show more...; Mazzoni, Stanisl ...; Molitoris, Josep ...; Pozzi, Lucia; Smith, Ken R.; Vézina, Hélène; show less...

About the subject

SOCIAL SCIENCES: SOCIAL SCIENCES; and Economics and Bu ...; and Economic History

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