Understanding demographic change in CEE countries
On the Second Demographic Transition in CEE countries
Dimiter Philipov
This project aims at providing an answer to the question whether the second demographic transition was a major factor that brought about the demographic changes in Central and East European (CEE) countries. The project is running continuously. During the years 2006 and 2007 the project includes a life-table study of Bulgaria and Russia based on the GGS data (together with Aiva Jasilioniene from MPIDR), and a study of developmental idealism and its use in explaining recent demographic change in the region (together with Arland Thornton from the Michigan State University).
Decomposing change in the number of births: How important is the influence of fertility postponement?
Tomas Sobotka, Wolfgang Lutz, and Dimiter Philipov
This study analyses factors leading to the long-standing decline in the total number of births in the European Union. We apply a simple method that decomposes the change in the total number of births into the following effects: changes in the female population by age, changes in the age composition of the fertility schedule, changes in fertility quantum, and changes in fertility tempo combined with changes in the parity distribution of women. Our main focus is on the role of fertility postponement in reducing total number of births and contributing to the slower or even negative population growth in the EU countries. During 2004, a preliminary comparative analysis of six European societies was carried out: Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.
Gender Issues: Results from the PPA2 surveys
Dimiter Philipov
This project is a part of the institute's involvement in the international project "DIALOG - Population Policy Acceptance Study - The Viewpoint of Citizens and Policy Actors Regarding the Management of Population Change", supported by the European Union's Fifth Framework Program. VID is responsible for Workpackage 5, "Gender issues". The PPA2 survey data describe attitudes towards gender issues linked primarily to work and the family with the use of a special module. The study focuses on international comparisons. The findings suggest the existence of diversity among the countries with respect to gender-related attitudes. Attitudes that favor traditional gender roles are more frequent in countries in Central and Eastern as well as in Southern Europe. Western countries are also diverse, for example Austria and Germany are relatively more traditional as compared to the Netherlands. In general women have a more modern orientation as compared to men. The project was completed in 2006.
Interrelationships between education and first births in Western European countries
Dimiter Philipov
This research project studies the interaction between family formation (first birth) and completion of education. It combines micro- and macro-level aspects of the interrelationship. At the micro level use is made of the FFS data. At the macro level the interactions are influenced by the welfare regime in a country. The findings show that these life events are less interdependent in the Scandinavian countries, known for their developed social policies. The project was completed in 2005.
Applying the theory of planned behaviour for the study of fertility and marital intentions: case study of Bulgaria
Dimiter Philipov
This project uses recent survey data for Bulgaria, where the theory of planned behaviour was operationalised. The purpose is to study the influence of attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control on union formation intentions and fertility intentions. This project was included in the FERTINT project and will be concluded in the end of 2007.
Postponement and parity in fertility intentions: theory and evidence from Bulgaria and Hungary
Dimiter Philipov
This research project, started in 2003, was completed in 2006 (together with Zsolt Spéder and Francesco Billari). Fertility intentions are considered separately by parity (intention to have a child of a particular order or not) and timing of an intended birth (within 2 years or later). The results reveal that the theoretical background of fertility intentions is parity-specific and time-specific. Intentions to have a/another child within 2 years associate with a different set of factors than intentions to ever have a/another child. The study shows the importance of social anomie and social capital in these two countries.
A Portrait of the Family in Europe
Dimiter Philipov
This project is commissioned by the Council of Europe, and the prepared paper is a background document for the European Population Conference organized in April 2005 by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The study makes use of population census data gathered by Eurostat and presents a statistical description of the family in a large number of European countries. The project lasted from 2004 to 2005.
new project:
Religion and family formation - a comparative study of European countries
Dimiter Philipov, Caroline Bergammer
This project studies the links between a person’s religiosity on the one hand and fertility and union formation on the other hand. It considers various dimensions of religiosity such as religious practice, belief and belonging. Demographic developments in Europe during the last decades include a decline in family size, decrease in marriage rates paralleled by an increase in non-marital unions and births and rising divorce rates. On the contrary, churches overall stand for large families, durable relationships, the nurturing role of the mother and oppose premarital cohabitation and divorce. Given the secularisation throughout the previous decades, it is a question of interest weather religiosity is still able to exert an influence on couple’s fertility decisions and union formation behaviour. If so, what are the causes for this impact? So far, we have completed a comparative study of European countries and will proceed with country specific analyses. As religious and demographic trends in European countries have followed very different paths, their relationship will turn out to be highly country specific.