De publieke acceptatie van vrijwillige kinderloosheid: van 20 naar 90 procent in 30 jaar

Abstract

The public acceptance of voluntary childlessness in the Netherlands: . From 20 to 90 per cent in 30 years .In this paper, we address two research questions, which we answer with data from 13 waves of the repeated cross-sectional survey Cultural Change in the Netherlands (CCN, 1965-1996). First, we decompose the increasing acceptance of voluntary childlessness in effects of cohort replacement and intra-cohort change. We find that between 1965 and 1980 the change is primarily due to intra-cohort effects, whereas cohort replacement has become more important since 1980. Second, we address the question which social categories constitute the 10 percent of the population who do not accept voluntary childlessness. Church attendance – and not religiosity or religious socialization – turns out to be an important factor. Low levels of income and education also negatively affect the acceptance of voluntary childless.