Fertility decisions in transition: young adults’ perceptions on fertility three decades apart in Spain

ABSTRACT

The aim of this unique study is to analyze the generational change in perceptions regarding fertility decisions between young Spanish adults in the mid-1980s and young Spanish adults in the early 2010s and to test the extent to which the theoretical perspectives on fertility are supported by individual narratives over time. For nearly thirty years, Spain has had low fertility levels that contrast with the persistent ideal family size of two children. However, the literature has barely explored individuals’ perceptions of fertility decision-making over time. This paper seizes the exceptional opportunity to analyze 97 in-depth personal interviews of highly educated young adults in urban Spain from two independent studies conducted in 1985 and 2012. The results indicate that although the value change associated with the second demographic transition remains over time, the changes in age norms and partnership formation norms underlie the main differences between the two generations. Economic uncertainty and the lack of support for work-life balance stand out as persistent structural factors that influence the fertility decisions in both samples. In addition, the respondents’ narratives confirm that the transition of gender-role norms towards greater egalitarianism remains unfinished. By assigning value to the perceptions of individuals, this study contributes to the understanding of how the normative framework and meaning of childbearing have changed under the rubric of the macrolevel theoretical perspectives that explain fertility decline.

KEYWORDS:

• Fertility
• generational change
• second demographic transition
• gender egalitarianism
• economic uncertainty
• Spain
• comparative analysis
• qualitative analysis

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme under the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Grant Agreement No. 657030 to Xiana Bueno. Data from 2012 was collected thanks to National Science Foundation grant #SES1123885 to principal investigator Professor Mary C. Brinton at Harvard University. Data from 1985 was available to me thanks to Professor Anna Cabré and Professor Andreu Domingo at Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics in Barcelona.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. The 1985 study titled ‘La constitución de la pareja’ [The constitution of the couple] was directed by Profs. Anna Alabart, Anna Cabré, and Verena Stolcke at the Centre for Demographic Studies in Barcelona, Spain. The original data could be available upon request at [email protected].

2. The 2012 study titled ‘Gender Equity and Low Fertility in Postindustrial Societies’ was directed by Prof. Mary C. Brinton at Harvard University. The original data could be available upon request at [email protected].

3. The total sample in the 1985 study was comprised of 144 interviews, from which a subsample of highly educated respondents was selected for this analysis. The total sample in the 2012 study was comprised of more than 400 interviews in five different countries, from which a subsample of partnered respondents in Spain was selected for this analysis.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship [657030];National Science Foundation [SES1123885].