Fertility, family transformations and gender relations
Researches conducted in DEMO concern the causes and consequences of family life course events – such as the union formation and dissolution, or the birth of a child. Our studies acknowledge that these events are the result of individual’s opportunities, constraints, and values. We also take into consideration that individual’s opportunities, constraints, and values are affected by his/her social and economic status (e.g., gender, level of education, income, etc.), as well as the institutional context. Gender and the family policy context are two dimensions that are of particular interest because they are at the heart of family relations.
Some of the research questions addressed by DEMO researchers are the following. What are paths to union formation and dissolution? How do gender attitudes or religion affect this choice? How do education, income, and economic crises impact fertility? Do parents have preferences regarding the gender composition of children? What are the consequences of the birth of a child on household tasks, professional activity, and parental well-being? Do family responsibilities early in life directly or indirectly impact health conditions later in life? And do welfare policies influence the effects of early-life disadvantages, complex family structures, and family trends on health and well-being in old age?
These topics studied in DEMO are addressed in high-, middle- and low-income countries through quantitative, qualitative, or mixed analyses. Finally, historical demographic research focuses on the first transition of fertility, placed in the context of old demographic regimes and/or in relation to social and economic crises.
Responsable : Ester Rizzi