Gender Trouble and Its Impact on Fertility Intentions

Abstract

It is often an underlying assumption that the new role of women and in general the trend toward a more egalitarian view of the concept of partnership is a main factor behind the low fertility rates in rich countries. The aim of this paper is to test the consequences of gender (in)equity on the desire of women and men to have (further) children by using gender inequity as an important category within population science. In our assumptions we want to test whether an unequal distribution of household chores and childcare duties has a negative effect on the desire to have children. Another assumption examines the potential correlation that the perception of (in)equality of women and men in society or the acceptance of government measures to ensure equal rights might have with the desire to have children. The data are derived from the recent Austrian survey Population Policy Acceptance Survey. The assumptions are tested by means of logistic regression analysis. The results show that it is new men who are likely to express a wish for children, rather than those who live in traditional partnership models.