Understanding intergenerational transmission of fertility in a multigenerational context – Socialization of fertility preferences or transmission of socioeconomic traits?

Martin Kolk, Stockholm University

A number of studies have documented consistent patterns of intergenerational transmission of fertility in western countries. The reason why children replicate the family size of their parents has however seldom been extensively covered. The goal of this study is to examine if socialized values on family size explain observed fertility associations or if they rather are a result of continuities in socioeconomic traits. Swedish registry data on childbearing histories, demographic events and socioeconomic can be used to disentangle the various possible explanations of observed fertility continuities. Data is collected for the Swedish 1970-1982 cohorts who are linked with parents and grandparents. Event history models are used in which young men’s and women’s childbearing histories are studied with covariates on own and parental and grandparental characteristics. Results indicates that some of the associations can be explained by continuities in education and socioeconomic status but that the primary explanation appear to be explained by transmission of values and preferences on family size