Intergenerational discrepancies in fertility preferences among immigrant and Dutch families

Abstract

This study investigated the fertility preferences of parents and children in immigrant and Dutch families. I explored the preferred ages for having a first child as well as preferred family size among 1233 parent–child dyads from the first wave of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (2004) and the Social Position and Provisions Ethnic Minorities Survey (2004). Intergenerational differences in fertility preferences are examined and it is asked how ethnic origin, socio-demographic position and parents' values influence intergenerational discrepancies. Results indicated that there are clear absolute differences in preferred timing and family size between the ethnic origin groups. With respect to preferred family sizes I find intergenerational differences among all ethnic groups: children prefer smaller families than their parents. There is, however, no indication that intergenerational differences are larger among immigrant families. Regarding timing of childbearing I find larger intergenerational discrepancies among Moroccan families only. Furthermore, parent and child characteristics are of limited importance for explaining intergenerational discrepancies.

Keywords:

• fertility
• immigrants
• family
• generational differences
• preferences

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the European Research Council Starting Grant project [no. 263829] “Families of migrant origin: A life course perspective”. The Netherlands Kinship Panel Study was funded by grant 480-10-009 from the Major Investments Fund of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and by the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI), Utrecht University, the University of Amsterdam and Tilburg University.