| 1. Peer Reviewed Title: Childcare cash benefits and fertility timing in Norway. Author: Aassve A; Lappegard T Source: European Journal of Population. 2009 Feb;25(1):67-88. Abstract: In 1998 a new cash benefit for parents with young children was introduced in Norway. Its purpose was to provide a cash payment to parents who either preferred to care for their children at home or to compensate those who were not offered external childcare provision. It has been argued that the new policy encouraged women to stay at home with their children, possibly reducing labour supply. The policy was consequently considered gender-biased, creating reduced incentives for women to participate in the labour market and therefore encouraging a more traditional division of labour of husbands and wives. Given this background of the policy we undertake an analysis in two parts. We ask first the question "who takes the cash benefit?" Second, by applying simple matching techniques, we ask the question "Do couples taking the benefit behave differently in terms of their fertility timing?" Using information from Norwegian registers we find that more traditional households (in a broad sense) are more likely to take the cash benefit. Those taking the benefit accelerate childbearing significantly, though the reasons why they do so varies by socio-economic groups. Language: English Keywords: NORWAY | RESEARCH REPORT | COUPLES | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | FAMILY POLICY | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | CHILD CARE | TIME FACTORS | Developed Countries | Europe, Northern | Europe | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior Document Number: 331296 |
2.  Title: Girls' education and HIV prevention. Author: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV / AIDS [UNAIDS]. Inter-Agency Task Team on Education Source: Paris, France, UNESCO, 2008. [2] p. (Advocacy Briefing NoteED/UNP/HIV/2008/IATT-ABN1) Abstract: Educating girls is a global priority, especially as two-thirds of young people living with HIV around the world are female. Recent research has shown that educating girls dramatically reduces their vulnerability to HIV. Studies show that HIV infection rates are at least twice as high among young people who do not finish primary school as among those who do. Yet around the world, more than 41 million girls are out of school. Despite numerous international commitments to the right of all children and young people to free and compulsory education, there are still major gender disparities in enrollment at all levels in low-income countries, which are often hit the hardest by AIDS. Girls are often the last to enroll in primary school and the first to drop out. Even fewer girls succeed in reaching secondary school. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | PROGRESS REPORT | RECOMMENDATIONS | KAP SURVEYS | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | HIV PREVENTION | SEX EDUCATION | SAFER SEX | INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES | NUTRITION PROGRAMS | HEALTH EDUCATION | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Adolescents | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Economic Development | Economic Factors | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Education | Sex Behavior | Behavior | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Programs | Organization and Administration | Primary Health Care | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics Document Number: 326775 |
3.  Peer Reviewed Title: Demography, culture, and policy: Understanding Japan's low fertility. Author: Boling P Source: Population and Development Review. 2008 Jun;34(2):307-326. Abstract: Insights into the causes of Japan's prolonged and sharp fall in total fertility rate come from comparing Japan with France. The two countries share dirigiste administrative approaches, family policy reform undertaken under the auspices of pragmatic right wing parties and justified on pronatalist grounds, and involvement of demographic experts in crafting and shepherding such policies. But the countries differ with respect to their total fertility rates (France 1.98, Japan 1.29) and the effectiveness of their family policies. Thus comparing them can help identify areas of divergence that might explain these differences and assist in the project of theory building. Several salient explanations are rooted in Japan's labor market: it exacts high opportunity costs from parents who interrupt their careers to raise children, keeps ideal workers from having much time for their families, assumes and reinforces a traditional gender ideology, and hires few young workers into good jobs. (author's) Language: English Keywords: JAPAN | FRANCE | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | FERTILITY DECLINE | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | FAMILY POLICY | POPULATION POLICY | TOTAL FERTILITY RATE | LABOR FORCE | GENDER ISSUES | PRONATALIST POLICY | POLITICAL SYSTEMS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | CHILD CARE | FEMALE ROLE | Asia, Eastern | Asia | Developed Countries | Europe, Western | Europe | Studies | Research Methodology | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Rate | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior | Social Behavior Document Number: 327375 |
| 4. Peer Reviewed Title: Role of cash in conditional cash transfer programmes for child health, growth, and development: An analysis of Mexico's Oportunidades. Author: Fernald LC; Gertler PJ; Neufeld LM Source: Lancet. 2008 Mar 8;371(9615):828-837. Abstract: Many governments have implemented conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes with the goal of improving options for poor families through interventions in health, nutrition, and education. Families enrolled in CCT programmes receive cash in exchange for complying with certain conditions: preventive health requirements and nutrition supplementation, education, and monitoring designed to improve health outcomes and promote positive behaviour change. Our aim was to disaggregate the effects of cash transfer from those of other programme components. In an intervention that began in 1998 in Mexico, low-income communities (n=506) were randomly assigned to be enrolled in a CCT programme (Oportunidades, formerly Progresa) immediately or 18 months later. In 2003, children (n=2449) aged 24-68 months who had been enrolled in the programme their entire lives were assessed for a wide variety of outcomes. We used linear and logistic regression to determine the effect size for each outcome that is associated witha doubling of cash transfers while controlling for a wide range of covariates, including measures of household socioeconomic status. A doubling of cash transfers was associated with higher height-for-age Z score (beta 0.20, 95% CI 0.09-0.30; p less than 0.0001), lower prevalence of stunting (-0.10, -0.16 to -0.05; p less than 0.0001), lower body-mass index for age percentile (-2.85, -5.54 to -0.15; p=0.04), and lower prevalence of being overweight (-0.08, -0.13 to -0.03; p=0.001). A doubling of cash transfers was also associated with children doing better on a scale of motor development, three scales of cognitive development, and with receptive language. Our results suggest that the cash transfer component of Oportunidades is associated with better outcomes in child health, growth, and development. (author's) Language: English Keywords: MEXICO | RESEARCH REPORT | INTERVENTIONS | INCENTIVES | CHILD HEALTH | HEALTH SERVICES | POVERTY | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | HEALTH AND WELFARE PLANNING | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS | North America | Americas | Developing Countries | Programs | Organization and Administration | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Health | Delivery of Health Care | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Social Planning | Program Evaluation Document Number: 325023 |
| 5. Title: Family policy in Germany: appraisal and assessment. Author: Honekamp I Source: Journal of Family History. 2008 Oct;33(4):452-64. Abstract: The German government spends about euro 185 billion on measures to support families. This amount is above European Union average, but still, families have become smaller and the number of childless couples has increased. This article outlines some of the 145 German policy measures to support families and their purpose. An assessment that takes into account economic theory and empirical studies shows that an increase of monetary incentives could influence the decision to bear a child only moderately. This implies that policy measures alone cannot be held responsible for the entire difference in fertility rates between countries. Cited studies based on surveys among the German and French populations reveal how different attitudes of the population may also play their role in determining the fertility rate of a country. Language: English Keywords: FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY | CRITIQUE | THEORETICAL MODELS | ECONOMIC MODEL | CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS | POLICYMAKERS | FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD | FAMILY POLICY | GOVERNMENT FINANCING | FAMILY SIZE | VOLUNTARY CHILDLESSNESS | FERTILITY | ECONOMIC POLICY | INCENTIVES | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | Developed Countries | Europe, Central | Europe | Research Methodology | Comparative Studies | Studies | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Sociocultural Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Family Characteristics | Reproductive Behavior | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population Document Number: 330744 |
| 6. Title: Impact of Oportunidades on skilled attendance at delivery in rural areas. Author: Urquieta J; Angeles G; Mroz T; Lamadrid-Figueroa H; Hernandez B Source: Chapel Hill, North Carolina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Population Center, MEASURE Evaluation, 2008 Apr. 59 p. (MEASURE Evaluation Working Paper Series WP-08-102USAID Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-03-00003-00) Abstract: Oportunidades (formerly Progresa) is a conditional cash-transfer program run by the Mexican federal government aimed to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty, which among other activities, provides free delivery attendance for women enrolled in the program. Skilled attendance to delivery has been identified as an effective strategy to reduce maternal mortality. In this paper, we assess the impact of Oportunidades on skilled attendance to delivery, taking advantage of the experimental design implemented for the evaluation of this program in rural areas The main results of the study indicate that Oportunidades had, at best, only a small effect on skilled attendance at delivery in treatment communities. The effect of the program, however, appears to be higher for women with a poverty score near to the eligibility cut-off point, whereas it seems not to have an effect on women in the poorest households. We also find that the program had larger effects on those women who had one birth just priorto the experimental treatment and another birth subsequent to the experimental treatment. However, the impacts of the program seem to be null or even negative when comparing enrolled vs. non-enrolled women in intervention areas. These results should lead to a review about the strategies used by Oportunidades to increase skilled attendance to delivery. (author's) Language: English Keywords: MEXICO | PROGRESS REPORT | STATISTICAL STUDIES | RURAL POPULATION | MIDWIVES AND MIDWIFERY | PREGNANT WOMEN | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | POVERTY | CHILDBIRTH | SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS | UTILIZATION OF HEALTH CARE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | MATERNAL MORTALITY | MORTALITY DECLINE | North America | Americas | Developing Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Health Personnel | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Socioeconomic Factors | Pregnancy Outcomes | Pregnancy | Reproduction | Health Services | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Mortality | Population Dynamics Document Number: 326304 |
| 7. Title: Growing old and staying young: Population policy in an ageing closed economy. Author: van Groezen B; Meijdam L Source: Journal of Population Economics. 2008 Jul;21(3):573-588. Abstract: This paper analyses the relation between public pensions, fertility and child care in a closed-economy overlapping generations model with endogenous fertility. It is shown that raising a child involves two social externalities and that it is optimal to introduce child allowances if the government redistributes income from the young to the old. The optimal child allowance rises when longevity increases. If the costs of raising children depend positively on the wage, a third externality arises and the returns to savings should be taxed. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | NETHERLANDS | RESEARCH REPORT | THEORETICAL MODELS | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | OLD AGE SECURITY | SOCIAL SECURITY | FERTILITY PREFERENCES | CHILD CARE | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Developed Countries | Europe, Western | Europe | Research Methodology | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Microeconomic Factors | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Fertility | Child Rearing | Behavior Document Number: 326872 |
| 8. Title: From public to private maternalism? Gender and welfare in Poland and Hungary after 1989. Author: Glass C; Fodor E Source: Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society. 2007 Fall;14(3):323-350. Abstract: This paper compares the political processes and gendered outcomes of welfare state formation in Hungary and Poland. We find both differences and similarities in the extent to which family and maternity policies in the two countries encourage women's paid work, support women's care giving work in the home, guard women and their families against poverty, and differentiate among women based on ethnic/racial classifications and class status. We argue that while welfare states in Western Europe may be increasingly characterized by a retreat from maternalist policies, Hungarian and Polish welfare policies support distinct forms of maternalism. While maternalism is privatized in Poland, it is publicly supported and subsidized in Hungary. We attempt to explain the divergence between the two countries by pointing to differences in class-based and gender-based political mobilization around family benefits as well as the timing of welfare reforms. Despite differences in the substance of the policies, however, we find that both regimes limit women's labor market opportunities. (author's) Language: English Keywords: POLAND | HUNGARY | RESEARCH REPORT | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | WOMEN | LABOR FORCE | GENDER ISSUES | SOCIAL WELFARE | WOMEN'S STATUS | HUMAN RIGHTS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | MATERNITY BENEFITS | EMPLOYMENT | FAMILY POLICY | SOCIAL CLASS | Europe, Central | Europe | Developing Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Socioeconomic Factors | Political Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Microeconomic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Socioeconomic Status Document Number: 320885 |
| 9. Peer Reviewed Title: Declining fertility in Japan: Its mechanisms and policy responses. Author: Matsukura R; Retherford RD; Ogawa N Source: Asia-Pacific Population Journal. 2007 Aug;22(2):33-50. Abstract: This article seeks to analyse the fertility transformation in post-war Japan. The following section discusses how the demographic mechanism of Japan's postwar fertility decline varied over time, while the ensuing section examines what factors contributed to such demographic shifts. Subsequently, a number of the policies and programmes to raise fertility that the Government of Japan has formulated and implemented over the past decade are discussed, and their limitations briefly considered. The final section discusses aspects of Japan's postwar experience which may be relevant for developing countries in Asia, particularly with regard to the first "demographic dividend" yielded by fertility reduction. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: JAPAN | CRITIQUE | FERTILITY DECLINE | MARITAL FERTILITY | MARRIAGE PATTERNS | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | POPULATION POLICY | LEGISLATION | RETIREMENT | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | TOTAL FERTILITY RATE | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Developed Countries | Asia, Eastern | Asia | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Marriage | Nuptiality | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Employment Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Family Policy | Fertility Rate | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements Document Number: 326117 |
| 10. Title: Caring and contributing: The role of older women in rural South African multi-generational households in the HIV / AIDS era. Author: Schatz E Source: World Development. 2007 Aug;35(8):1390-1403. Abstract: This paper explores households' coping strategies in rural South Africa, where HIV/ AIDS morbidity and mortality are having profound effects on household resources. Older women's pensions play a potentially crucial role in multi-generational households during crises and for day-to-day subsistence. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 elderly women from the MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt) fieldsite, who were eligible for the South African non-contributory pension. Although we stratified our sample by household mortality experience, the area's high levels of migration, unemployment, and HIV/AIDS prevalence made our respondents' pensions an important, regular, and reliable source of household-income regardless of their households' mortality profile. (author's) Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | RURAL AREAS | RESEARCH REPORT | SAMPLING STUDIES | WOMEN | ADULTS | OLDER ADULTS | FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD | HIV INFECTIONS | AIDS | DEATH | CARE AND SUPPORT | INCOME | OLD AGE SECURITY | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Geographic Factors | Population | Studies | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Sociocultural Factors | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Microeconomic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors Document Number: 320795 |
| 11. Title: Family allowances and fertility: socio-economic and religious differentials. Author: Schellekens J Source: [Unpublished] 2007. Presented at the Population Association of America 2007 Annual Meeting, New York, New York, March 29-31, 2007. 48 p. Abstract: Although micro-economic theory predicts that cash benefits will increase fertility, empirical studies generally find a weak, although positive, relationship between cash benefits and fertility. Cash benefits may be more cost-effective, when they target certain sub-populations. One such sub-population, it has been suggested, consists of low-income families. This paper presents the results of an analysis of socio-economic differentials in the effect of family allowances on the fertility of Israeli women using birth histories of women in the last two Israeli censuses of 1983 and 1995. With this kind of sample size it is not only possible to study socio-economic differentials in the effect of family allowances on the likelihood of having a third birth, but also of having a fourth, fifth, or sixth birth. Assuming the existence of economies of scale in a family, the cost of the fifth or sixth child should be lower than the cost of the third or fourth. Thus, child allowances may have a larger effect on the birth of higher birth-order children, since their cost would be lower than those of lower birth-order children. Hence, separate analyses will be performed for each parity. At the higher parities, most couples are religious. Hence, the second aim of this paper is to study religious differentials in the effect of family allowances. (author's) Language: English Keywords: ISRAEL | RESEARCH REPORT | CENSUS | LOW INCOME POPULATION | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | FAMILY SIZE | FERTILITY MEASUREMENTS | RELIGION | FEES | FERTILITY | Developed Countries | Middle East | Population Statistics | Research Methodology | Social Class | Socioeconomic Status | Economic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Financial Activities Document Number: 317353 |
| 12. Title: The impact of conditional cash transfers on household composition, fertility and migration in Central America. Author: Winters P; Stecklov G; Todd J Source: [Unpublished] 2007. Presented at the Population Association of America 2007 Annual Meeting, New York, New York, March 29-31, 2007. 19 p. Abstract: In an attempt to understand household composition and its evolution, research has generally focused on the historical trends in household size, age structure and formation. Examining the trends in a number of developed countries, household size has steadily declined from around five members in the middle of the nineteenth century to between two and three in 1990. The driving forces identified for this decline are not just a decline in fertility rates but also a reduction in the number of adults in the households. This decline is associated with changes in household composition from a traditional complex household structure, which includes the extended family, to a simpler nuclear household with parents and children that is apparent in developed countries. In many developing countries complex households remain common. Using data from 43 developing countries, Bongaarts finds only limited regional differences between sub-Saharan Africa, the Near East/North Africa, Asia and Latin America and that these averages, which are in the range of five members per household, are similar to the levels found in the second half of the nineteenth century Europe and North America. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: CENTRAL AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS | HOUSEHOLDS | REMITTANCES | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | SOCIAL POLICY | FERTILITY INCENTIVES | DECISION MAKING | SOCIAL PROTECTION | Latin America | Americas | Developing Countries | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Microeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Fertility | Migration | Family Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Pronatalist Policy | Population Policy | Behavior Document Number: 317824 |
| 13. Peer Reviewed Title: Policies to reconcile labor force participation and childbearing in the European union. Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Jun;32(2):389-393. Abstract: A recently published report commissioned by the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission reviews "reconciliation" policies in 30 European countries. Such policies are defined by the report in its title as measures that foster "reconciliation of work and private life" or, more elaborately in the body of the report, as "policies that directly support the combination of professional, family and private life." In this context work means gainful employment, while private life in effect means childbearing. The countries covered are those of the EU 25, two candidate countries (Bulgaria and Romania), and three countries that are part of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein). The report, not formally endorsed by the Commission, was prepared by the EU Expert Group on Gender, Social Inclusion and Employment. Each of the 30 countries was represented by at least one expert. The 96-page report identifies four types of reconciliation policies: childcare services, leave facilities, flexible working-time arrangements, and financial allowances. Descriptions of these policies from the Executive Summary are reproduced below. Although the report makes passing reference to below-replacement fertility in the EU member countries, its focus is clearly directed to measures that could increase the rate of employment, especially female employment. According to the EU's "Lisbon targets" set in 2000, the female employment rate in the EU should be raised to 60 percent of the working-age population by 2010. Based on data for 2003, only eight EU countries have met or exceeded this target. Childbearing is seen as in part responsible for the shortfall. Reconciliation policies could make the Lisbon target for female employment more easily achievable and "especially stimulate full time participation." Furthermore, the report suggests, such policies, as a byproduct, could also enhance fertility. Financial allowances, paid directly to families with children, the fourth type of policy discussed by the report, include measures reminiscent of the main thrust of the newly announced proposals for increasing fertility in Russia (see the preceding Documents item in this issue). The report, however, makes no reference to differentiation by parity, a distinctive mark of pronatalist intent. Indeed, it specifies that "family-based tax concessions and family allowances are not part of the reconciliation policy per se," noting, with an apparent element of disapproval, that such provisions "are often based on (and may reinforce the notion of) a traditional breadwinner model by reducing the incentive to work for both spouses." (author's) Language: English Keywords: EUROPEAN UNION | PROGRESS REPORT | EVALUATION | LABOR FORCE | WOMEN | POPULATION | EMPLOYMENT | WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT | CHILD CARE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PRONATALIST POLICY | FAMILY POLICY | FERTILITY INCENTIVES | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Demographic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Women's Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior | Social Policy | Policy | Population Policy Document Number: 310800 |
| 14. Peer Reviewed Title: Vladimar Putin on raising Russia's birth rate. Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Jun;32(2):385-389. Abstract: The total fertility rate in what is now the Russian Federation has been below replacement level during much of the last 40 years. By the late 1990s it was barely above 1.2 children per woman. There may have been some recovery since: the United Nations estimate for 2000-05 is 1.33. Other reports set the 2004 rate at 1.17. Countries elsewhere in Europe have fertility levels that are equally low or even lower, but the Russian demographic predicament is aggravated by mortality that is exceptionally high by modern standards. Thus, despite large-scale net immigration (mostly due to return of ethnic Russians from other republics of the former Soviet Union), the population in the last decade-and-a-half has been shrinking: of late by some 700,000 persons per year. The United Nations medium estimate assumes a steady recovery of the total fertility rate to reach a level of 1.85 by 2050 and a considerable improvement in survival rates during that period--notably an increase in male life expectancy at birth of more than ten years. It also assumes further modest net immigration at a steady rate, amounting to a total of somewhat over 2 million by midcentury. Under these stipulations the projected population of Russia in 2050 would be 112 million--some 31 million below its present size. By that time, 23 percent of the population would be aged 65 and older. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: RUSSIA | PROGRESS REPORT | RECOMMENDATIONS | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | BIRTH RATE | BELOW REPLACEMENT FERTILITY | MICROECONOMIC FACTORS | POPULATION DYNAMICS | POPULATION DECREASE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PRONATALIST POLICY | FAMILY POLICY | Asia, Northern | Asia | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Fertility | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Measurements | Economic Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Population Policy Document Number: 310799 |
| 15. Title: Defending the family: the Latvian experience. Author: Andersone L Source: Entre Nous. 2006;(63):18-19. Abstract: In many countries in Europe there are problems of low birth rates and ageing populations. This often results in a demographic crisis. This is also the case in Latvia, where we are speaking of a demographic crisis and a crisis of the family as a value. Since 1989 our population has decreased by 13%, from 2.6 million in 1989 to fewer than 2.3 million in 2005. In 2005 Latvia had a fertility rate of 1.29, which has decreased from 2.0 in 1990 and increased from 1.21 in 2001. The divorce rate is one of the highest in Europe with more than 51% of marriages ending in divorce. There is high number of abortions: in 2003 of every 1000 pregnancies there were 691 induced abortions, and in 2004 of every 1000 pregnancies there were 674 induced abortions. One of the reasons for the high abortion rate is the fact that there are insufficient preventive measures for abortion, among them poor knowledge of contraceptives and other information regarding sexual and reproductive health. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: LATVIA | CRITIQUE | GOVERNMENT | POPULATION DECREASE | FERTILITY DECLINE | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | FAMILY POLICY | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | CHILD CARE | CHILD ABUSE | HOTLINES | FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION | Developing Countries | Europe, Eastern | Europe | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Social Policy | Policy | Child Rearing | Behavior | Crime | Social Problems | Information | Education Document Number: 308122 |
| 16. Title: Does family policy affect fertility? Lessons from Sweden. Author: Bjorklund A Source: Journal of Population Economics. 2006;19:3-24. Abstract: From the mid-1960s to around 1980, Sweden extended its family policies that provide financial and in-kind support to families with children very quickly. The benefits were closely tied to previous work experience. Thus, women born in the 1950s faced markedly different incentives when making fertility choices compared to women born only 15-20 years earlier. This paper examines the evolution of completed fertility patterns for Swedish women born in 1925-1958 and makes comparisons to women in neighbouring countries where the policies were not extended as much as in Sweden. The results suggest that the extension of the policy raised the level of fertility, shortened the spacing of births, and induced fluctuations in the period fertility rates, but it did not change the negative relationship between women's educational level and completed fertility. (author's) Language: English Keywords: SWEDEN | RESEARCH REPORT | CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS | WOMEN | DIFFERENTIAL FERTILITY | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | FAMILY POLICY | MATERNITY BENEFITS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | Developed Countries | Europe, Northern | Europe | Comparative Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Microeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 298741 |
| 17. Title: Employment and childbearing: women bear the burden of the work-family balance. Author: Pailhe A; Solaz A Source: Population and Societies. 2006 Sep;(426):1-4. Abstract: It is women who bear children, and therefore logical to expect their working careers to be more affected than those of men. But the gap between men's meagre involvement in childcare and the major adjustments made by women is a wide one: fathers cut back their working activity twenty times less often than mothers do. In France, three-quarters of women aged 20-49 are in paid employment. But this average figure varies according to the stage in their life-cycle. The employment rate is much lower once a child is born. The Familles et employeurs (families and employers) survey tracked parents' employment history after a birth. From stopping work entirely, to working part-time or rescheduling working hours, the range of possible adjustments is very broad. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: FRANCE | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | MOTHERS | FATHERS | CHILDBIRTH | EMPLOYMENT | UNEMPLOYMENT | CHILD CARE | FAMILY SIZE | EMPLOYMENT STATUS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | Developed Countries | Europe, Western | Europe | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Pregnancy Outcomes | Pregnancy | Reproduction | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors Document Number: 311788 |
| 18. Title: Recent changes in family policies in Austria and Germany: A response to very low fertility. Author: Prskawetz A; Buber I; Sobotka T; Engelhardt H Source: Entre Nous. 2006;(63):27-29. Abstract: Long-term trends in Austrian and West German fertility have evolved in parallel with the trends in western and northern European countries. After a marked rise in fertility during the period of economic and social recovery after World War II that culminated in the early 1960s, a substantial drop in fertility took place between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s (early 1970s in the case of Germany). The period total fertility rate (TFR) continued to decline after 1980, although less rapidly than before, and for both countries the TFR has hovered around the level of 1.4-1.5 in the last two decades. Completed fertility has gradually declined among women born after 1935 for Austria (1933 for Germany), dropping to a value of 1.7 and 1.5, respectively, among women born after 1965 for Austria and Germany. Low fertility levels combined with increasing survival and rather modest migration flows contribute to population ageing--in particular also to ageing of the labour force--both in Austria and in Germany. As a consequence, family policies aimed to increase fertility, have recently been implemented in both countries. Since differences in fertility levels between countries can be attributed to difference in demographic and socio-economic factors, family policies should be aiming to influence both of these factors. A key demographic factor leading to low birth rates, and hence should be subject to targeted family policies, is the postponement of childbearing. Among the socio-economic factors the increase in female labour force participation since the 1970s has put the focus on employment-related fertility policies. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: AUSTRIA | GERMANY | CRITIQUE | FAMILY POLICY | FERTILITY CHANGES | DELAYED CHILDBEARING | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | CHILD CARE | EMPLOYMENT | INCENTIVES | TAXATION | Developed Countries | Europe, Central | Europe | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproductive Behavior | Child Rearing | Behavior | Macroeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Financial Activities Document Number: 308126 |
| 19. Peer Reviewed Title: Rajlakshmi -- an initiative for improving the status of girl child in Rajasthan. Author: Sharma R; Goel R; Gupta H Source: Journal of Family Welfare. 2003 Jun;49(1):66-78. Abstract: Meeting the health and development needs of women has been recognised as a basic right in recent intergovernmental declarations. The status of the girl child and women in society, and how they are treated or mistreated, is a crucial determinant of their reproductive health. Educational opportunities for girls and women have a powerful effect on their status and the control they have over their own lives and their health and fertility. The empowerment of women is, therefore, an essential element for health. In India, the traditional attitude towards the girl child is that of indifference and neglect, an offshoot of prejudices nursed for centuries in our culture. From the earliest times, evil practices of societal discrimination, mistreatment of and even violence against women have existed in India. Many of the upper classes in Rajasthan, especially Rajputs and Jats are reported to be involved in the killing of new born daughters. Those baby girls who survive are also discriminated against and neglected in many ways. Thus bias is rooted in a complex set of economic, social and cultural factors. The degree of bias may vary, but it definitely exists at various levels at different stages in a girl's life, affecting her nutrition, health, education and social and economic status. Modern science has made its own contribution towards bias against the girl child. Amniocentesis, created as a procedure for the detection of foetal abnormality, has now become an instrument of death. According to a newspaper report, out of a total of 1,210 abortions performed in 1988, 45.6 per cent were females. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: INDIA | PROGRESS REPORT | KAP SURVEYS | CHILD, FEMALE | POLICYMAKERS | CHILD WORTH | CHILD SURVIVAL | GENDER ISSUES | SEX DISCRIMINATION | SEX PREFERENCE | WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | INFORMATION SOURCES | FAMILY SIZE, DESIRED | MICROECONOMIC FACTORS | Asia, Southern | Asia | Developing Countries | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Child | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Economic Factors | Survivorship | Length of Life | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Social Discrimination | Social Problems | Value Orientation | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Women's Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Information | Family Size | Family Characteristics | Family and Household Document Number: 187249 |
| 20. Title: Quebec's alternative to pronatalism. Author: Krull C Source: Population Today. 2001 Nov-Dec;29(8):[5] p.. Abstract: Between 1961 and 1971, Quebec's fertility rate dropped. Since then, two kinds of government intervention to make parenthood more attractive have been tried, but experience has shown that pronatalism is no longer the means to ensure a francophone Quebec. Thus, in 1988, the Quebec government implemented three programs to boost fertility whereby Quebec families received almost 4 billion Canadian dollars annually in direct and income tax assistance from the provincial and federal governments. Reactions to these forms of direct financial assistance varied. It is noted that social interventionists supported government action, not through pronatalist intervention, but through social policies to improve female equity and assist families. In 1997, Quebec switched its approach to strengthening families by creating the Ministry of Family and Children's Services and gave it a budget of 500 million Canadian dollars. However, due to the shortcomings of the existing family assistance policies, promoting higher fertility in Quebec has been ineffective. Hence, the government will continue to find other means to protect the distinctiveness of its society, including reassessing family assistance programs. Language: English Keywords: CANADA | FERTILITY DECLINE | FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PRONATALIST POLICY | PROGRAMS | North America, Northern | Americas | Developed Countries | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family and Household | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Population Policy | Organization and Administration Document Number: 167958 |
| 21. Title: Effects of child care prices on women's labor force participation in Russia. Author: Lokshin MM Source: Washington, D.C., World Bank, Development Research Group / Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, 2000 Apr. 43 p. (Policy Research Report on Gender and Development Working Paper Series No. 10) Abstract: The paper models household demand for child care, mothers' labor force participation and working hours, in Russia. The model estimates the effects of the price of child care, mother’s wage, and household income on household behavior and well-being. The theoretical model yields several predictions. To test these, reduced-form models of the discrete and continuous household choices are estimated jointly using the method of Semi-Parametric Full Information Maximum Likelihood. This method controls for the error term correlations across outcomes, and the correlation of the error terms which is the result of the panel structure of the data. The results of the analysis indicate that mothers' labor force participation and working hours are responsive to the price of child care and hourly wages. The simulations presented in this paper show that family allowances – intended as a means of reducing poverty – do not have a significant effect on the household choice of child care arrangements. Replacing family allowances with child care subsidies may have a strong positive effect on women's labor force participation and thus can be effective in reducing poverty. (author's) Language: English Keywords: RUSSIA | RESEARCH REPORT | THEORETICAL MODELS | CROSS SECTIONAL ANALYSIS | MATHEMATICAL MODEL | LONGITUDINAL STUDIES | DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS | LABOR FORCE | WOMEN | LOW INCOME POPULATION | CHILD CARE | EMPLOYMENT | TIME FACTORS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | WAGES | FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD | DECISION MAKING | Developing Countries | Asia, Northern | Asia | Research Methodology | Studies | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Social Class | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior | Macroeconomic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy Document Number: 184867 |
| 22. Title: Former Yugoslavia and successor states. Author: Kapor-Stanulovic N; David HP Source: In: From abortion to contraception: A resource to public policies and reproductive behavior in Central and Eastern Europe from 1917 to the present, edited by Henry P. David with the assistance of Joanna Skilogianis. Westport, Connecticut, Greenwood Press, 1999. :279-315. Abstract: With almost every aspect of daily life affected by the conflict between the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the successor states of Croatia and Slovenia, demographic trends influenced by regional differences in levels of economic and social development, history, religion and customs are presented. Legislation and trends of abortion, contraception and psychological aspects of the abortion/contraception relationship were reviewed. The paper provides an overview and discussion of the population policies and family allowances as well as a discussion of the historical development and the existing trends on the issues regarding women's status. Actions made by the nation with regards to sex education and family planning were presented. Given the past and present demographic data, the future demographic trends among these nations are likely to be affected in diverse measure by changes in population structure and personal values. Language: English Keywords: YUGOSLAVIA | CROATIA | SLOVENIA | EUROPE, EASTERN | HISTORICAL REVIEW | ABORTION LAW | CASE HISTORIES | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | POPULATION POLICY | ABORTION | CONTRACEPTIVE DISTRIBUTION | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | SEX EDUCATION | Developing Countries | Europe, Southeastern | Europe | Europe, Central | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Data Collection | Research Methodology | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Policy | Policy | Distributional Activities | Program Activities | Programs | Organization and Administration | Family Policy | Education Document Number: 158178 Notification |
| 23. Title: The pronatalist undercurrent of the $500-per-child tax credit. Author: Powell M Source: POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT. 1999 May;20(5):455-65. Abstract: The $500-per-child tax credit in the US is discussed. The tax credit's pronatalist undercurrent has drawn comparisons to the tax structures used in other countries to encourage larger families. Policies endorsed by pro-family advocates and legislators in the US, which include tax credits for children and family allowances in addition to subsidies for health care, housing and child care bear parallel comparison with pronatalist measures used in democratic and Eastern Bloc nations: a European family allowance has been considered by tax credit supporters as a model for pro-family tax policies. Examples of financial incentives for large families implemented in Sweden, Japan, France and Canada are presented. No empirical analysis of the effect of tax credit on American fertility has been performed. Studies have shown that explicit reward granted to larger families through a tax credit may have greater fertility effect than an increase in dependent exemption. According to Whittington, personal exemption encourages fertility by decreasing the relative cost for children. Now that President Clinton has signed the $500 tax credit bill, the anticipated increase in the birth rate might alleviate demographic imbalances facing the social security system as the baby boomers begin to retire. Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | TAXATION | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PRONATALIST POLICY | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Population Policy Document Number: 143137 |
| 24. Title: [Opinions on population development] Korkerdes a nepesedesrol. Author: Tarkanyi A Source: DEMOGRAFIA. 1999;42(3-4):317-24. Abstract: Fertility is influenced by economic factors such as the GDP and family allowances as well as value-related and cultural factors associated with the structure of society. In 1985 in Hungary declining fertility was reversed by a family/child support allowance, which had an especially positive effect on the birth of third and fourth children. As a consequence, the fertility rate in Hungary rose in 1985 and stabilized at the level of 1980-81 until 1992, when a severe economic crisis set in with high unemployment and the drop of wages. Between 1990 and 1994-95 Hungary advanced to the third place, in terms of its fertility rate, from the 12th place among 18 eastern European countries. On the other hand, the Hungarian public health policy does not prove to be that effective when examining the mortality rate. In Hungary the proportion of children being raised in truncated/one-parent families is high in comparison to the countries of the European Union. In addition, the aging of the population is increasing and their support and health care costs are a rising segment of the budget. This is also true of the countries of the OECD, where the costs of health care will rise by 40% and pension expenditures by 80% during the period of 1980-2040. In these countries the institution of marriage has also been weakened and the high percentage of children born to unmarried parents could present more problems for psychologists, social workers, and child protection agencies. The lack of family policies is more of intervention in a negative sense into the lives of families than having family policy measures. Language: Hungarian Keywords: HUNGARY | CONFERENCES AND CONGRESSES | WORKSHOPS | ORGANIZATIONS | FERTILITY DECLINE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | MORTALITY | CONSENSUAL UNION | ONE PARENT FAMILY | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Developing Countries | Europe, Central | Europe | Education | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Nuptiality | Family Characteristics | Family and Household Document Number: 152132 |
| 25. Title: [Opinions on population development] Korkerdes a nepesedesrol. Author: Toth Pal P Source: DEMOGRAFIA. 1999;42(3-4):325-30. Abstract: The most pessimistic population forecast of Hungary projects 6.5 million by 2050. However, the process of population decline that has been going on since 1980 could hardly be reversed before 2010-15. This requires not only financial, ethical, and moral conditions, but also a public attitude which needs the help of society for the protection of the family; recognizes the importance of joint responsibility in the relationship of married couples and in the raising of children; and can reconcile the requirements of public good and the respect for the human being. Surveys and public polls have shown that, in spite of the changes over the decades, the Hungarian population essentially has pro-family and pro-child beliefs. On this basis, a social spirit and appropriate system of conditions have to be formed in which the family represents an unambiguous value vis-a-vis the plurality of life styles and individualism; the prestige of the mother raising her child in a family cannot be compared to any occupation; society unambiguously recognizes the commitment of parents to raising their children; and the financing of basic health and social programs is natural vis-a-vis the recognition of childlessness and birth control as values. The new family support system has to be based on the principle of general access and support in terms of means tested income and has to aim at establishing family, economic, social, health care related, and cultural circumstances whereby married couples can make their decisions about having children. Language: Hungarian Keywords: HUNGARY | CONFERENCES AND CONGRESSES | WORKSHOPS | FERTILITY DECLINE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | FAMILY POLICY | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Developing Countries | Europe, Central | Europe | Education | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Policy | Policy Document Number: 152133 |
| 26. Title: [Opinions on population development. The reduction of the population: economic and cultural aspects] Korkerdes a nepesedesrol. Nepessegfogyas: gazdasagi es kulturalis szempontok, Author: Voros M Source: DEMOGRAFIA. 1999;42(3-4):331-7. Abstract: National Geographic magazine published an analysis about the demographic processes taking place in six countries of the world in the December 1988 issue. The population of Kenya will be increasing at the highest rate (that of Hungary at the lowest rate); China produced the fastest economic growth in the 1980s (Hungary the smallest); Hungary would have the least labor market pressure between 1985 and 2000 because of the slowest growth of the population able to work; India would have the highest child mortality (the index of Hungary was the second most favorable following that of the US); the growth of the urban population was the most massive in Brazil in the second half of the 20th century (Hungary was barely behind it); and the US represented the most wasteful, most consumption-oriented welfare society. The reduction of the population of Hungary is associated with concerns about the dilution of Hungarian culture, the Western style consumer society, and the reaction to the general trend of modernization. The culture of Hungary has been diverse with the greatest Hungarians coming from various ethnic backgrounds. On the other hand, the impact of cultural imperialism on Hungarian culture has been more serious with consumerism already starting in the early 1960s and resulting in individualism, the pursuit of material goods, the and postponement of having a family. 10 years after the article in National Geographic was published the situation had drastically changed with political and economic transformation in 1990 and later, although the economic transformation already began in 1980-81 evidenced by the start of the reduction of the population. Language: Hungarian Keywords: HUNGARY | CONFERENCES AND CONGRESSES | WORKSHOPS | ORGANIZATIONS | FERTILITY DECLINE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | MORTALITY | CONSENSUAL UNION | ONE PARENT FAMILY | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Developing Countries | Europe, Central | Europe | Education | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Nuptiality | Family Characteristics | Family and Household Document Number: 152135 |
| 27. Title: [A family policy] Une politique de la famille. Author: Baechler J Source: COMMENTAIRE. 1998 Spring;21(81):137-45. Abstract: The author reflects on the meanings of family, policy, and family policy before proposing a redesigned family policy for France that would focus on support for large families. The household, basically composed of a couple and their children, has been the foundation of societies for thousands of years, creating an enduring structure for the socialization of children. It is suggested that the only legitimate and effective strategy for a family policy is to influence the number of children per household. The author considers a household with 4 or 5 children to be normal and natural for the human species, and most conducive to happiness for all members. However, the phase of modernization developed since World War II is unfavorable to households with 4 or 5 children. The process of individuation brought about by modernization produces many single persons, childless couples, and households with the same contractual and fragile character as other modern institutions. The cost of children in modern societies in terms of time, money, and effort has led most parents to be satisfied with 2 or even 1 child--an insufficient level of fertility to ensure population replacement. The optimal policy would favor the spontaneous emergence of the natural family of 4 or 5 children to end the threat of depopulation. If one-third to one-half of households had 4 or 5 children, the demographic objectives would be met. The goal could be accomplished by furnishing women with allowances equivalent to what they would earn in the labor market to compensate them for choosing the full-time vocation of motherhood. French Abstract: L'auteur considère les notions de la famille, la politique, et la politique familiale avant de proposer une nouvelle politique familiale pour la France qui concentrerait sur du soutien pour des grandes familles. Le ménage, qui comprend en général un couple et leurs enfants, est la fondation des sociétés depuis des millénaires, une structure qui aide à la socialisation des enfants. On suggère que la seule stratégie qui serait légitime et efficace serait d'influencer le nombre d'enfants par ménage. L'auteur considère normal un ménage avec de quatre à cinq enfants, et il est aussi une taille naturelle pour les êtres humains. Avoir de quatre à cinq enfants rend tout le monde le plus heureux. Cependant, la longue période de modernisation dans laquelle nous nous trouvons depuis la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale n'est pas favorable aux ménages avec autant d'enfants. Dans le contexte de cette modernisation, on voit beaucoup de gens célibataires, des couples sans enfants, et des ménages avec la même fragilité des autres institutions modernes. Le coût des enfants dans les sociétés modernes dans le temps, l'argent, et l'effort a mené la plupart des parents de se contenter avec deux ou même un enfant, un niveau de fécondité insuffisante pour garantir le remplacement de la population. La meilleure politique serait d'encourager les familles d'un largeur naturel de quatre à cinq enfants pour éliminer la possibilité d'un processus de dépopulation. Des objectifs démographiques pourraient être réalisés si d'un tiers à la moitié des ménages auraient de quatre à cinq enfants. L'objectif pourrait être réalisé si on donnerait aux femmes des allocations qui sont égales à ce qu'elles gagneraient dans le marché de travail afin de les dédommager d'avoir choisi la vocation d'être mère. Language: French Keywords: FRANCE | CRITIQUE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | FAMILY POLICY | FAMILY SIZE | MODERNIZATION | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | SEGREGATION | Europe, Western | Europe | Developed Countries | Social Policy | Policy | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Social Change | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population Document Number: 138613 |
| 28. Title: [The child of a single mother] L'enfant de mere seule. Author: Berthier M; Oriot D Source: ARCHIVES DE PEDIATRIE. 1998 Jan;5(1):71-8. Abstract: "There were 658,000 one-parent families in France in 1968; there were 1,600,000 in 1994, disunity today being a component factor much more frequent than widowhood. The guarding parent is the mother in 87% of cases, and in 95% of cases for 0 to 4-year-old children. This mother is generally frustrated in her desire to rebuild the family. These families have suffered a rapid and important economic degradation in the past few years, the French one-parent families being victim of the evolution off social allowances which are more unfavourable for them than for other families." The author argues that the poverty associated with one-parent families is likely to be the root cause of many of the pediatric, psychiatric, and social problems encountered in such families, in contrast to the belief that being in a one-parent family per se is the main reason for such problems arising. (EXCERPT) (SUMMARY IN ENG) Language: French Keywords: FRANCE | ONE PARENT FAMILY | POVERTY | ECONOMIC FACTORS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS | Europe, Western | Europe | Developed Countries | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Socioeconomic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Behavior Document Number: 256334 |
| 29. Title: [Family policy: anatomy of a conflict] Politique familiale: les logiques d'un conflit. Author: Bichot J Source: COMMENTAIRE. 1998 Spring;21(81):159-66. Abstract: The evolution of France's family policy, the rationale behind various policy changes, and a proposal to articulate family allowances with pensions and fiscal policy are examined. The author discusses the ambiguous nature of family allowances, the expansion of the system immediately after World War II and its subsequent decline in the 1960s, and the consequences of linking family allowances to other family economic resources. Conflict concerning optimal family policy may originate in disagreements about the desirability of horizontal redistribution, intended to prevent too steep a decline in living standards for households with children at any income level, versus vertical distribution, which stresses payments to families of modest means. There are also differences of opinion about whether the objective should be redistribution, with contributions being obligatory and distributed on the basis of need, or commutative justice, with allowances viewed as recompense for the work of raising children, no matter how wealthy the parents. The utility of parenting and reasons for viewing parents as producers of human resources in the service of society as a whole are then examined. The commutative conception of family policy leads to an examination of family benefits in the broader context of transfers between generations. A pension system, in which rights were earned through either monetary contributions or credits for raising and educating children, could offer the possibility of nearly eliminating family allowances by allowing parents of larger families to retain much of the income that under the existing system would have been taxed. French Abstract: L'évolution de la politique sur la famille en France, des raisons pour certains changements de politiques, et une proposition d'articuler des allocations familiales avec des pensions et de la politique fiscale sont éxaminées. On discute l'ambiguïté des allocations familiales, la croissance du système tout de suite après la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale et sa diminution subséquente pendant les années 1960, et les conséquences qu'on peut avoir si on lie les allocations familiales aux autres ressources économiques de la famille. Des désaccords sur le besoin d'avoir une redistribution horizontale peuvent mener aux conflits sur quelle politique familiale est la meilleure. De telles redistributions sont effectuées avec l'intention de prévenir une chute trop rapide aux standards de vie pour les ménages qui ont des enfants à n'importe quel niveau de revenu. Par contre, la distribution verticale oriente des paiements aux familles qui n'ont pas beaucoup d'argent. En plus, il n'y a aucun accord universel sur si le but devrait être une redistribution, avec les contributions obligatoires et distribuées selon le besoin, ou si les allocations devraient être vues comme de la compensation pour le travail qu'il faut pour élever des enfants, en dépit des moyens financiers des parents. Puis, l'auteur examine l'utilité de la fonction parentale et pourquoi on devrait considérer les parents comme des producteurs de ressources humaines qui sont engagés dans le service de la société en général. La notion commutative d'une politique familiale mène à une examination des bénéfices familiaux dans le plus grand contexte des transferts entre générations. Un système de pensions, dans lequel on gagne des droits soit avec des contributions monétaires soit avec des crédits pour avoir élevé et éduqué des enfants, pourrait ouvrir la possibilité de presque éliminer les allocations familiales en permettant aux parents des familles qui sont relativement grandes de garder beaucoup de leur revenu qui aurait été autrement réduit par des impôts. Language: French Keywords: FRANCE | CRITIQUE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | FAMILY POLICY | INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSFERS | CHANGES | Europe, Western | Europe | Developed Countries | Social Policy | Policy | Microeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Social Change Document Number: 138625 |
| 30. Title: By the numbers. Author: Cherlin AJ Source: NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE. 1998 Apr 5;:39-41. Abstract: The author discusses changes in the meaning of motherhood in the United States, with a focus on how society can accommodate these changes. Aspects considered include female employment, declining marriage and birth rates, divorce and remarriage, economic changes, family benefits, and male and female participation in child care. Policy changes and proposals are considered. (ANNOTATION) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | MOTHERS | WOMEN'S STATUS | SOCIAL CHANGE | EMPLOYMENT STATUS | MARRIAGE PATTERNS | BIRTH RATE | DIVORCE | REMARRIAGE | ECONOMIC CONDITIONS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | GENDER ISSUES | CHILD CARE | WOMEN | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Socioeconomic Status | Marriage | Nuptiality | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Macroeconomic Factors | Family Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Child Rearing | Behavior Document Number: 255325 |
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