Abstract
This study explores whether the diffusion of gender-equitable attitudes towards female employment is associated with fertility. We argue that any positive effect on fertility requires not only high levels of gender-equitable attitudes overall, but also attitude convergence between men and women. We analyse 27 countries using data from the World Values Surveys and European Values Studies. We find support for a U-shaped relationship between changes in gender role attitudes and fertility: an initial drop in fertility is observed as countries move from a traditional to a more gender-symmetric model. Beyond a certain threshold, additional increases in gender egalitarianism become positively associated with fertility. This curvi-linear relationship is moderated by the difference in attitudes between men and women: when there is more agreement, changes are more rapid and the effect of gender egalitarian attitudes on fertility strengthens.
Highlights
The second half of the 21st century witnessed major demographic shifts
Dynamics of Gender-Equitable Attitudes by Gender We start by describing Gender Equity levels and dynamics during the period 1990–2009
In contrast to previous studies, our focus is on gender equity effects
Summary
All developed countries experienced a decline in marriages accompanied by a rise in divorce and cohabitation, and fertility rates dropped to historically low levels. Since the late 1990s we observe a fertility recovery in a large number of the advanced OECD nations (Goldstein, Sobotka, and Jasilioniene, 2009; World Bank, 2010; Bongaarts and Sobotka, 2012). As Myrskyla , Kohler and Billari (2009) argue, the recovery is especially likely to occur at advanced development levels, measured by the Human Development Index. A second approach emphasizes the role of female employment, showing that the fertility rebound is especially likely to occur when, as in France, Scandinavia, or the UnitedStates, female employment becomes the norm (Ahn and Mira, 2002; Luci and Thevenon, 2010; OECD, 2011). The Eastern European and Mediterranean countries suffer from seemingly persistent ‘lowest-low’ fertility rates, i.e. with Total Fertility Rates (TFRs) < 1.3 (Kohler, Billari and Ortega, 2002)
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