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Social Capital Related to Fertility: Theoretical Foundations and Empirical Evidence from Bulgaria

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  • Christoph Bühler
  • Dimiter Philipov

Abstract

Interpersonal relationships of support have been found to be an important factor in individual fertility intentions in Central and Eastern European countries. The foundations of this positive influence have not been well explored to date, however. We present a theoretical discussion on exchange-based social capital and argue that processes of interpersonal exchange are relevant for reproductive decisions when they provide access to resources that help to reduce the costs of having children and stabilise the economic situation of a household. Data from 2002 on the fertility intentions of 2,016 Bulgarian women support our argument. The availability of important and substantive resources has a positive impact on women's intentions to have a second or third child and their timing of having a first or second child. The embededness in kin-based exchange systems of indirect reciprocity shows similar positive effects and highlights especially the significance of parents as a source of intergenerational transfers and support.

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  • Christoph Bühler & Dimiter Philipov, 2005. "Social Capital Related to Fertility: Theoretical Foundations and Empirical Evidence from Bulgaria," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 3(1), pages 53-81.
  • Handle: RePEc:vid:yearbk:v:3:y:2005:i:1:p:53-81
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    2. Soo-Yeon Yoon, 2017. "The influence of a supportive environment for families on women’s fertility intentions and behavior in South Korea," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(7), pages 227-254.
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    4. Dimiter Philipov & Zsolt Spéder & Francesco C. Billari, 2005. "Now or Later? Fertility Intentions in Bulgaria and Hungary and the Impact of Anomie and Social Capital," VID Working Papers 0507, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna.
    5. Christoph Bühler, 2006. "On the structural value of children and its implication on intended fertility in Bulgaria," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2006-003, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    6. Anna Baranowska-Rataj, 2012. "What would your parents say? The impact of cohabitation on intergenerational relations in traditional societies," Working Papers 50, Institute of Statistics and Demography, Warsaw School of Economics.
    7. Jesper Rözer & Anne-Rigt Poortman & Gerald Mollenhorst, 2017. "The timing of parenthood and its effect on social contact and support," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(62), pages 1889-1916.
    8. Melinda Mills & Nicoletta Balbo, 2011. "The influence of the family network on the realisation of fertility intentions," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 9(1), pages 179-206.
    9. Zuzanna Brzozowska & Isabella Buber-Ennser & Bernhard Riederer, 2021. "Didn’t Plan One but got One: Unintended and sooner-than-intended Parents in the East and the West of Europe," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(3), pages 727-767, July.
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    12. Christoph Bühler, 2008. "On the structural value of children and its implication on intended fertility in Bulgaria," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 18(20), pages 569-610.
    13. Abhishek Kumar & Valeria Bordone & Raya Muttarak, 2016. "Like Mother(-in-Law) Like Daughter? Influence of the Older Generation’s Fertility Behaviours on Women’s Desired Family Size in Bihar, India," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(5), pages 629-660, December.
    14. Nicoletta Balbo & Francesco C. Billari & Melinda Mills, 2013. "Fertility in Advanced Societies: A Review of Research," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 29(1), pages 1-38, February.
    15. YOUM Yoosik, 2011. "A Network Approach to the Economic Models of Fertility," Discussion papers 11062, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    16. Zsolt Spéder & Balázs Kapitány, 2012. "Realising birth intentions in European comparison – understanding the postcommunist fertility transition," Working Papers on Population, Family and Welfare 15, Hungarian Demographic Research Institute.
    17. Liat Raz-Yurovich, 2012. "Normative and allocation role strain: role incompatibility, outsourcing, and the transition to a second birth in Eastern and Western Germany," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2012-024, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    18. Istenič Majda, 2009. "Differences in Fertility Behaviour among the Farm, Rural and Urban Populations in Slovenia," Eastern European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 15(-1), pages 61-74, January.
    19. Nick Parr, 2010. "Satisfaction with life as an antecedent of fertility," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 22(21), pages 635-662.
    20. Yoosik Youm & Byungkyu Lee, 2016. "A network approach to economic models of fertility," Rationality and Society, , vol. 28(4), pages 386-409, November.
    21. Lareen Newman, 2009. "Do Socioeconomic Differences in Family Size Reflect Cultural Differences in Confidence and Social Support for Parenting?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 28(5), pages 661-691, October.
    22. Clémentine Rossier & Laura Bernardi, 2009. "Social Interaction Effects on Fertility: Intentions and Behaviors," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 25(4), pages 467-485, November.
    23. Elena Koytcheva & Dimiter Philipov, 2008. "Bulgaria: Ethnic differentials in rapidly declining fertility," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 19(13), pages 361-402.
    24. Katia Begall & Melinda Mills, 2011. "The Impact of Subjective Work Control, Job Strain and Work–Family Conflict on Fertility Intentions: a European Comparison [L’impact sur les intentions de fécondité de la perception subjective de co," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 27(4), pages 433-456, November.

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