Poland: Fertility decline as a response to profound societal and labour market changes?

Irena Kotowska; Janina Jóźwiak; Anna Matysiak; Anna Baranowska-Rataj

doi:10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.22

Volume 19 - Article 22 | Pages 795–854

Poland: Fertility decline as a response to profound societal and labour market changes?

By Irena Kotowska, Janina Jóźwiak, Anna Matysiak, Anna Baranowska-Rataj

Date received:

10 Oct 2006

Date published:

1 Jul 2008

Word count:

15058

Keywords:

childbearing, Europe, fertility, fertility decline, Poland

DOI:

10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.22

This article is part of the Special Collection 7 "Childbearing Trends and Policies in Europe"

Download PDF
Submit a Response Letter

Abstract

This article opens with a review of the main trends in family-related behaviour, i.e. fertility decline and changes in fertility patterns, a decreasing propensity to marry, postponement of marriage, and a slowly increasing frequency of divorces and separations. The analysis takes into account urban and rural differences. We then aim to identify the main determinants of family changes within the general conceptual framework of the Second Democratic Transition (SDT) in Poland. However, contrary to mainstream interpretations of the SDT, the main emphasis of this study is on the structural components of change, which need to be reformulated to account for processes specific to the transition to a market economy. The focus is, therefore, on labour market developments and family policy, and to a lesser extent on ideational change.