Gender Preferences for Children in Europe:
Empirical Results from 17 FFS Countries
Karsten Hank
Hans-Peter Kohler, Ph.D.
| Date Received: | 6 December 1999 |
| Date Published: | 25 January 2000 |
Abstract:
Gender preferences may have substantial implications for a couple’s fertility
behavior. However, there is only limited empirical research investigating this subject in
modern Western societies. In this paper, data from the Fertility and Family Surveys are
used to compare 17 European countries with respect to their gender preferences for
children. Despite substantial regional heterogeneity across Europe, our results show a
strong tendency towards a preference for a mixed sex composition (if there is any
preference at all). However, we find some unexpected indication for a girl preference in
the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Portugal. Because socioeconomic conditions and family
policies in Europe, which are important factors in explaining different fertility levels,
are not related to a specific gender of children, we suggest that sociocultural factors
should be regarded as important determinants of different gender preferences.
Author's affiliation:
Karsten Hank
is a Doctoral
Student in the Research Group on Social Dynamics and Fertility at the Max Planck Institute
for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany.
Hans-Peter Kohler
is Head of the
Research Group on Social Dynamics and Fertility at the Max Planck Institute for
Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Strasse 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany.
Table of Contents:
| 1 |
|
Introduction |
| 2 |
|
Reasons for Gender Preferences |
| 3 |
|
Empirical Findings from Western Countries |
| 4 |
|
Data and Method |
| 5 |
|
Results |
| 6 |
|
Summary and Conclusions |
| 7 |
|
Acknowledgements |
|
|
Notes |
|
|
References |
|
|
Tables |
|
|
Figures |
Keywords: gender preferences, fertility, crossnational analysis
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