Declining Fertility and the Devaluation of Childbearing

Around the globe, fertility rates have been steadily declining, leading to dramatic changes in family structures and norms. Indeed, the decreases in fertility have prompted many governments to use propaganda and financial incentives to encourage couples to bear more children, yet these attempts have largely failed to produce positive change. The declines in fertility have been associated with a variety of factors, such as modernization, greater individualism, rising financial costs of raising children, the “motherhood penalty” faced by working women, and declines in support networks for childbearing and childrearing. Ultimately, the value of childbearing and the normative expectation of becoming a parent appear to be decreasing.

In order to gain a better understanding of declining fertility and the devaluation of childbearing, this session will examine fertility and childbearing from a variety of perspectives. We seek empirical, theoretical, along with practice and policy-oriented manuscripts that cover a wide array of topics including the rising financial costs of childbearing, “childfree” couples, the impact of individualism and materialism on fertility, the prioritization of educational and occupational attainment over childbearing, rising age at first birth, changing perceptions of childlessness, economic uncertainty and fertility aspirations, the delinking of marriage and childbearing, shifting cultural norms concerning family, fertility aspirations and educational attainment, changes in the perceived value of children, women’s empowerment, technological change and fertility, the emotional strains of parenting, and the effect of religion and cultural norms on fertility aspirations, among others.