Family life in power couples.: Continued childbearing and union stability among the educational elite in Sweden, 1991–2005

Martin Dribe; Maria Stanfors

Volume 23 - Article 30 | Pages 847–878

Family life in power couples.: Continued childbearing and union stability among the educational elite in Sweden, 1991–2005

By Martin Dribe, Maria Stanfors

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Date received:	03 May 2009
Date published:	02 Nov 2010
Word count:	7043
Keywords:	education, fertility, multinomial logit model, power couples, separation, Sweden
DOI:	10.4054/DemRes.2010.23.30

Abstract

This article studies continued childbearing and union stability among "power couples," or dual-career couples. The determinants of these events are analysed multivariately using longitudinal data on couples from population registers in Sweden, 1991–2005. Power couples are identified using their levels and fields of education, and their sectors of employment. Income and other variables are controlled for. The results show that power couples are more likely to continue childbearing, and are less likely to separate, than other couples. This implies that, despite the expected higher opportunity costs of childbearing and the small gains to specialisation, power couples who start families are able to combine career and continued childbearing.