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The Time Cost of Raising Children in Different Fertility Contexts: Evidence from France and Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Ariane Pailhé

    (Institut national d’études démographiques (INED))

  • Anne Solaz

    (Institut national d’études démographiques (INED))

  • Maria Letizia Tanturri

    (University of Padova)

Abstract

This article provides an original comparison of the time cost of children for the parental couple and for each parent in two European countries—France and Italy—that differ in terms of structural and normative constraints. Using time-use surveys carried out in 2008–2009 in Italy and in 2009–2010 in France, it investigates how Italian and French couples’ time use varies quantitatively according to the number and the age of their children. We estimate both the direct and indirect time cost of children and take into account the compression of the parents’ free time. After controlling for numerous covariates, the results corroborate the hypothesis that Italian children have a higher direct cost for couples (especially those with a large family or with preschool children), but also for mothers and fathers separately. Faced with this huge burden of childcare time, Italian women adjust by substituting housework with childcare. The presence of children reduces parents’ free time in both countries, but large families in Italy experience a higher and persistent loss of free time than in France. The gender imbalance in childcare is similar in both countries, but a more pronounced gender gap in time dedicated to domestic work is observed in Italy than in France. The loss of free time is always greater for women than for men in both countries, but in France, women’s free time is only partially affected by the number of children, contrary to Italy.

Suggested Citation

  • Ariane Pailhé & Anne Solaz & Maria Letizia Tanturri, 2019. "The Time Cost of Raising Children in Different Fertility Contexts: Evidence from France and Italy," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(2), pages 223-261, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:35:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s10680-018-9470-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-018-9470-8
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    2. Ferrer, Ana M. & Mascella, Allison, 2022. "Immigrant gaps in parental time investments into children's human capital activities," CLEF Working Paper Series 48, Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF), University of Waterloo.
    3. Elisa Brini & Anna Zamberlan & Paolo Barbieri, 2022. "Culture portability from origin to destination country: The gender division of domestic work among migrants in Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(20), pages 577-614.
    4. Maria Helena Santos & Miriam Rosa & Rita B. Correia & Jéssica Ramos & Ana Catarina Carvalho, 2023. "Forced to Work from Home: Division of Unpaid Work between Parents and the Relation to Job Satisfaction," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-22, September.
    5. LUPPI, FRANCESCA & Rosina, Alessandro & Testa, Maria Rita, 2024. "An Overview on Low Fertility Motivations among Italian Young-Adults," SocArXiv hf78t, Center for Open Science.
    6. Zuzanna Brzozowska & Eva Beaujouan & Kryštof Zeman, 2022. "Is Two Still Best? Change in Parity-Specific Fertility Across Education in Low-Fertility Countries," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(5), pages 2085-2114, October.

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