[Children as a burden, children as a joy: theses on family formation and number of children].

Abstract

"This article surveys significant changes in fertility and nuptiality in Central and Western Europe since the middle of the 19th century. In this context the secular decline in birth rates is understood as a consequence of changes in the social structure as well as of diffusion of social norms." It is noted that for the period after 1920, and especially after 1950, no "determinants" exist that can completely explain fluctuations in marriages and births. "Hence, the central thesis of this article is the following: There is no stable pattern of family formation in a modern industrial society and the number of children is not directly linked to mortality conditions or economic constraints. Subsequently, the article develops several hypotheses concerning the significance of marriage and parenting in the late 20th century, and points out that ups and downs in marriages, divorces, and births may be seen in analogy to other fashion-like processes (such as consumer behavior or social behavior)." (summary in ENG)