1. Chapter 10: Parenthood and Fertility

2. The Value of Children
In most societies, married couples in general and women in specific, experience pressures to have children.
Pronatalism was the traditional belief that having children was highly desirable, and was supported by:
Biological drives
Institutional concerns
Rational calculations

3. Pronatalism has been undermined by:
Ability to control sexual drives
Ability to control number of births
Reduced value of children
Increased freedom to decide about childbearing

4. Fertility Behaviors Birthrates-births per 1000 population
Fertility rates-births per 1000 women between 15 and 44
Total fertility rate-how many births each woman of child bearing age in the population in a given year would experience in her lifetime if her child bearing followed
the same age pattern present in the population in that year
Age-specific fertility rates-how many children women in the population are likely to bear in their lifetimes

5. Social Consequences of Parenthood
Married women share the provider role
Younger, more egalitarian fathers are more involved with their children
Higher levels of psychological distress and anger
Declines in marital satisfaction

6. Social Consequences of Parenthood
The braking hypothesis refers to the fact that the presence of young children leads couples to consider divorce more cautiously.

7. Childless Marriage Key Demographic Predictors of Childlessness:
Lack of Fecundity
Marital Status
Age
Labor Force Participation
Educational Level
Race/Ethnicity

8. Childless Marriage Voluntary childlessness is uncommon.
Some professional women opt not to have children, and are satisfied with this choice.
Involuntary childlessness caused by infertility affects 15% of couples in the U.S.
This increases stress and decreases well-being for infertile couples.

9. Concerns about Young and Unwed Parenthood
Births outside marriage
Greatest increase among women in their twenties
Young parents are at a disadvantage in terms of marriage, education, income, and employment
Children born to unwed parents experience more disadvantages compared to those born to married parents

10. Teen pregnancy Of teen girls who become pregnant:
26 percent obtain abortions
22 percent marry before childbirth
52 percent have out-of-wedlock births

11. Effects of Family Size on Members
Family size influences children’s emotional and intellectual development.
The amount of interpersonal and economic resources available for children varies by family size (dilution hypothesis).

12. Only Children
A one-child family is neither preferred nor desired in the U.S.
Empirical evidence shows that only children are not:
Selfish;
Maladjusted;
Overly dependent; or
Lonely.

13. Number of Siblings
The greater the number of siblings, the greater the negative effects on child and adult educational attainment and achievement.
Family size is relative to cultural context.
Large families often include unplanned children.
Child abuse and neglect, delinquency, and health problems occur more often in large families.

14. Birth Order and Sibling Relationships
First-born children have higher levels of self-esteem and intellectual achievement.
Last-born and only children tend to be more sexually permissive and more socially engaged.
Middle-born children tend to have lower levels of self-esteem.

15. Birth Order and Sibling Relationships
Siblings Relationships are Unique in:
Duration
Common Genetic and Social Heritage
Common Early Experiences

16. Sex Control
Ultrasound and amniocentesis make it possible for parents to choose their child’s sex.
This has serious ethical and social implications.
Sex control through selective abortion and genetic engineering could result in an unbalanced sex ratio.