Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism
Following the swift demise of the state-socialist regime in 1989, a profound transformation of family and fertility patterns has taken place in the Czech Republic. Family formation has been postponed and period fertility rates have fallen to very low levels, especially among young adults. Unmarried...
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Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
2008-07-01
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Online Access: | http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol19/14/ |
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doaj-675f4631e6104dfd9c308485547459622020-11-24T20:52:29ZengMax Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchDemographic Research1435-98712008-07-011914Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialismVladimíra KantorováDana HamplováKryštof ZemanAnna Št’astnáTomáš SobotkaFollowing the swift demise of the state-socialist regime in 1989, a profound transformation of family and fertility patterns has taken place in the Czech Republic. Family formation has been postponed and period fertility rates have fallen to very low levels, especially among young adults. Unmarried cohabitation has become relatively widespread and marriages have been progressively delayed or even foregone. These rapid shifts in family-related behaviour were primarily driven by a period change and resulted in a sharp discontinuity in cohort patterns of union formation and childbearing. We argue that the rapid change in family-related behaviour after 1990 was driven by a fundamental shift in the constraints and incentives for childbearing, which was conducive to later and more carefully planned family formation. The rapidity of observed changes can be explained as the outcome of a simultaneous occurrence of several factors, especially the expansion of higher education, the emergence of new opportunities competing with family life, increasing job competition, rising economic uncertainty in young adulthood, and changing partnership behaviour.http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol19/14/childbearingCzech RepublicEuropefamilyfertilitystate socialism |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Vladimíra Kantorová Dana Hamplová Kryštof Zeman Anna Št’astná Tomáš Sobotka |
spellingShingle |
Vladimíra Kantorová Dana Hamplová Kryštof Zeman Anna Št’astná Tomáš Sobotka Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism Demographic Research childbearing Czech Republic Europe family fertility state socialism |
author_facet |
Vladimíra Kantorová Dana Hamplová Kryštof Zeman Anna Št’astná Tomáš Sobotka |
author_sort |
Vladimíra Kantorová |
title |
Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism |
title_short |
Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism |
title_full |
Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism |
title_fullStr |
Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism |
title_full_unstemmed |
Czech Republic: A rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism |
title_sort |
czech republic: a rapid transformation of fertility and family behaviour after the collapse of state socialism |
publisher |
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research |
series |
Demographic Research |
issn |
1435-9871 |
publishDate |
2008-07-01 |
description |
Following the swift demise of the state-socialist regime in 1989, a profound transformation of family and fertility patterns has taken place in the Czech Republic. Family formation has been postponed and period fertility rates have fallen to very low levels, especially among young adults. Unmarried cohabitation has become relatively widespread and marriages have been progressively delayed or even foregone. These rapid shifts in family-related behaviour were primarily driven by a period change and resulted in a sharp discontinuity in cohort patterns of union formation and childbearing. We argue that the rapid change in family-related behaviour after 1990 was driven by a fundamental shift in the constraints and incentives for childbearing, which was conducive to later and more carefully planned family formation. The rapidity of observed changes can be explained as the outcome of a simultaneous occurrence of several factors, especially the expansion of higher education, the emergence of new opportunities competing with family life, increasing job competition, rising economic uncertainty in young adulthood, and changing partnership behaviour. |
topic |
childbearing Czech Republic Europe family fertility state socialism |
url |
http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol19/14/ |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT vladimirakantorova czechrepublicarapidtransformationoffertilityandfamilybehaviourafterthecollapseofstatesocialism AT danahamplova czechrepublicarapidtransformationoffertilityandfamilybehaviourafterthecollapseofstatesocialism AT krystofzeman czechrepublicarapidtransformationoffertilityandfamilybehaviourafterthecollapseofstatesocialism AT annastastna czechrepublicarapidtransformationoffertilityandfamilybehaviourafterthecollapseofstatesocialism AT tomassobotka czechrepublicarapidtransformationoffertilityandfamilybehaviourafterthecollapseofstatesocialism |
_version_ |
1716799479544283136 |