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This book is based on the presentations and discussions from a national symposium on "Creating the Next Generation: Social, Economic, and Psychological Processes Underlying Fertility in Developed Countries," held at the Pennsylvania State University in 2003. The papers address some of the antecedents and consequences of the recent steep declines in fertility in developed countries from different theoretical and disciplinary angles. While fertility rates are still high in some less-developed parts of the world, the new population problem with many countries in Europe, Asia, and North America is declining fertility. With fertility decline comes a reshaping of the population pyramid. The topic of fertility decline is interesting not only at the level of the individuals and couples, but also at the level of the societies that must come to grips with their long-term implications.Divided into four Parts, the text:*looks at contemporary trends in U.S. fertility, thus setting the stage for the entire volume;*discusses social and cultural values and attitudes;*analyzes fertility decisions in different countries; and*focuses on the possible long-term consequences of current fertility trends for individuals, families, and societies.
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The New Population Problem: Why Families in Developed Countries Are Shrinking and What It Means THE PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FAMILY ISSUES SYMPOSIA SERIES Series Editors Alan Booth and Ann C. Crouter Pennsylvania State University Booth/Dunn • Step families: Who Benefits ? Who Does Not? Booth/Dunn • Family-School Links: How Do They Affect Educational Outcomes? Booth/Crouter/Landale • Immigration and the Family: Research and Policy on U.S. Immigrants Booth/Crouter • Men in Families: When Do They Get Involved? What Difference Does It Make? Booth/Crouter • Does It Take a Village? Community Effects on Children, Adolescents, and Families Booth/Crouter/Clements • Couples in Conflict Booth/Crouter Just Living Together: Implications of Cohabitation on Families, Children, and Social Policy Crouter/Booth • Children's Influence on Family Dynamics: The Neglected Side of Family Relationships Crouter/Booth • Work-Family Challenges for Low-Income Parents and Their Children Booth/Crouter • The New Population Problem: Why Families in Developed Countries Are Shrinking and What It Means The New Population Problem: Why Families in Developed Countries Are Shrinking and What It Means Edited by Alan Booth Ann C. Crouter The Pennsylvania State University 2005 LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES, PUBLISHERS Mahwah, New Jersey London Camera ready copy for this book was provided by the editors. Copyright © 2005 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microform, retrieval system, or any other means, without prior written permission of the publisher. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers 10 Industrial Avenue Mahwah, New Jersey 07430 www.erlbaum.com Cover design by Kathryn Houghtaling Lacey Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The new population problem : why families in developed countries are shrinking and what it means / edited by Alan Booth, Ann C. Crouter. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8058-4978-5 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 0-8058-4979-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Family size—Developed countries-—Congresses. 2.Fertility, Human—Developed countries—Congresses. I. Booth, Alan, 1935- II. Crouter, Ann C. III. Series. HQ766.5.D44D43 2005 304.6'3—dc22 2004062484 CIP Books published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates are printed on acid-free paper, and their bindings are chosen for strength and durability. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents ix Preface PARTI Contemporary Patterns and Trends in U