Prospective Life Style Congruence Among American Adolescents: Variations in the Association Between Fertility Expectations and Ideas Regarding Women's roles

Abstract

This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) of Labor Market Experience of Youth to examine the extent of congruence between the attitudes of young men and women. The survey will continue for at least 6 annual survey rounds. The 1st round completed during the 1st half of 1979 included interviews with 5578 male and 5835 female youth aged 14 to 21 in the civilian population and an additional 1281 military youth. Included were approximately 1900 Hispanic youth 2900 black youth 1700 economically disadvantaged white youth and 4900 other white youth evenly distributed between male and female. It is hypothesized that women whites older youth and youth expecting to complete higher education should show greater independent associations between their womens role attitudes and their fertility expectations. The average young man or woman in the NLS youth sample expects to have about 2.45 children. No major difference is evidenced overall between men and women. Most youth regardless of their ethnic origin or sex tend to have views on most of the items consistent with a nontraditional orientation towards the appropriate role for women. It was theorized that the gap between the sexes with respect to this congruence would narrow as adulthood is approached. The ratio of the coefficients does decrease substantially with age. Congruence between attitudes toward womens roles and fertility expectations is evidenced much more strongly for those youth expecting to attend college. Youth for whom attitudes toward womens roles and fertility expectations have more direct relevance particularly in the short run exhibit greater congruence between their values and expectations. Youth who are less assimilated into the socioeconomic mainstream exhibit less congruence between their values and expectations.