One of the explanations for differences in childbearing behaviour across and within countries that have been suggested is that norms on childbearing behaviour may influence the actual behaviour of individuals. Variations within countries could be the result of different norms that prevail in different subgroups within a society. Variations across countries could be due to different norms in the respective countries. This report studies (1) what kinds of norms exist in Europe with regard to childbearing issues, (2) how large the variation in childbearing norms across Europe is and (3) how cross-national variation in childbearing norms can be explained. It uses data from the 2006 wave of the European Social Survey, which was conducted in 25 European countries. A representative sample of approximately 1,500 respondents was interviewed in each country » more (41-page report)
