abstract: 'This article investigates the association between economic

  uncertainties, work-family reconciliation policies and women''s

  short-term childbearing intentions in 10 European countries. I introduce

  the capability approach to this issue and argue that short-term

  childbearing intentions are an indicator of women''s capabilities to

  start a family or to have additional children. Using data from the

  European Social Survey, the analysis reveals that the association

  between economic uncertainties and short-term childbearing intentions

  varies by the number of children already born, education and

  institutional contexts. In some countries, having a job have a positive

  impact on childless women''s short-term intentions, while in other

  countries, low educated childless women out of the labour market are

  those most likely to intend to have a child in the near future. Other

  aspects of economic uncertainties, namely perceived job and income

  insecurity, have a negative impact on short-term childbearing

  intentions, regardless of motherhood status. The analysis also shows

  that the combination of weaker institutional support for work-family

  reconciliation, perceived job and income insecurity and low educational

  skills are associated with lower childbearing intentions, and the

  pattern across the 10 countries is slightly stronger for childless

  women. This study underscores the importance of embedding individual

  decision processes in a broader societal context.'
affiliation: 'Fahlen, S (Corresponding Author), Stockholm Univ, Dept Sociol, S-10691
  Stockholm, Sweden.

  Stockholm Univ, Dept Sociol, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.'
author: Fahlen, Susanne
author-email: susanne.fahlen@sociology.su.se
author_list:
- family: Fahlen
  given: Susanne
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/14616696.2013.798018
eissn: 1469-8307
files: []
issn: 1461-6696
journal: EUROPEAN SOCIETIES
keywords: 'childbearing intentions; capability approach; economic uncertainties;

  reconciliation policies'
keywords-plus: 'FEMALE EMPLOYMENT; GENDER; PARENTHOOD; INEQUALITY; EMERGENCE; SWEDEN;

  AGENCY; SIZE'
language: English
month: DEC 1
number: '5'
number-of-cited-references: '41'
pages: 639-662
papis_id: 51b2f6f5a5a7401a7093f8bd616aa923
ref: Fahlen2013capabilitieschildbea
times-cited: '20'
title: 'CAPABILITIES AND CHILDBEARING INTENTIONS IN EUROPE: The association between
  work-family reconciliation policies, economic uncertainties and women''s fertility
  plans'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000329983200002
usage-count-last-180-days: '5'
usage-count-since-2013: '40'
volume: '15'
web-of-science-categories: Sociology
year: '2013'