Links between gender role attitudes and fertility changes between 1990–2017: Lithuania from a comparative perspective

ABSTRACT

Fundamental fertility changes in developed countries and persistently low fertility rates are increasingly being interpreted using concepts of gender equality, gender equity, and gender revolution. This article analyzes links between gender role attitudes and fertility in Lithuania between 1990–2017 from a comparative perspective. Lithuania is compared to Sweden and Estonia, as well as Austria, France, and Italy. Based on seven data sets, the analysis is done using cluster analysis and binary logistic regression approaches. The findings reveal country-specific differences and similarities. First, in most countries, those who support the most traditional attitudes toward gender roles are the likeliest to have children. Second, Lithuania is the most traditional society; it is the slowest of the countries analyzed to transition to egalitarianism, and its gender role attitudes that significantly affect fertility are changing. Finally, in some cases, in the most traditional society, Lithuania, and the most egalitarian, Sweden, a new trend is emerging, whereby those who have supported non-traditional attitudes toward gender roles are more likely to have children.

KEYWORDS:

• fertility
• gender revolution
• gender role attitudes
• Lithuania
• Sweden
• Estonia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01629778.2023.2245367.

Notes

1. McDonald (2013) makes a distinction between gender equality and gender equity. Gender equality measures different outcomes between women and men in various domains. Gender equity is a subjective measure that is more about the perception of equal opportunities rather than the outcomes. The notions of fairness are intended to be captured by gender equity. The gender role attitudes (that are used in this study) seem to not reflect the fairness aspect in a straightforward way, but instead focus on perceived gender norms rather than gendered outcomes. In light of this, gender equity, a term in line with previous studies conducted by various researchers (Arpino, Esping-Andersen, and Pessin 2015), is more appropriate.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dovilė Galdauskaitė

Dovilė Galdauskaitė is a PhD student at the Institute of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on the links between fertility and gender role change.