The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010

Many demographic challenges and new trends have been observed across formerly state socialist countries after embarking on their political and economic transition. Including countries that range from Eastern Europe to Central Asia, this study explores whether some family-related events were more sen...

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Main Authors: Sunnee Billingsley, Juho Härkönen, Maria Hornung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Federal Institute for Population Research 2023-09-01
Series:Comparative Population Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.comparativepopulationstudies.de/index.php/CPoS/article/view/549
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author Sunnee Billingsley
Juho Härkönen
Maria Hornung
author_facet Sunnee Billingsley
Juho Härkönen
Maria Hornung
author_sort Sunnee Billingsley
collection DOAJ
description Many demographic challenges and new trends have been observed across formerly state socialist countries after embarking on their political and economic transition. Including countries that range from Eastern Europe to Central Asia, this study explores whether some family-related events were more sensitive to the transformation that occurred in the 1990s than others, and whether the disruption was immediate or delayed across this wide range of contexts. Based on year-specific hazard ratios over four decades, results point to changes in fertility patterns being clearly linked to the transition. Second birth rates reacted almost immediately to societal disruption, whereas a more delayed change occurred for first births. Although abrupt changes in marriage and divorce rates also occurred, these changes often began before the transition and therefore may be part of longer-term developments. That second births were the most sensitive family event to the immediate change in conditions may be due to economic costs, but also unique characteristics related both to its lack of conferring a new social role on the individual, such as in the case of marriage and parenthood, and the narrower window of time in which this event usually occurs. The delayed changes in first births may instead reflect changes in norms and culture that influenced younger individuals when they reached childbearing ages. * This article belongs to a special issue on “Demographic Developments in Eastern and Western Europe Before and After the Transformation of Socialist Countries”.
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spelling doaj.art-bbc24a932b404f7ebba26a55ec53bc1e2023-09-20T12:23:32ZengFederal Institute for Population ResearchComparative Population Studies1869-89801869-89992023-09-014810.12765/CPoS-2023-19457The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010Sunnee Billingsley0Juho Härkönen1Maria Hornung2Stockholm UniversityStockholm UniversityHumboldt-University BerlinMany demographic challenges and new trends have been observed across formerly state socialist countries after embarking on their political and economic transition. Including countries that range from Eastern Europe to Central Asia, this study explores whether some family-related events were more sensitive to the transformation that occurred in the 1990s than others, and whether the disruption was immediate or delayed across this wide range of contexts. Based on year-specific hazard ratios over four decades, results point to changes in fertility patterns being clearly linked to the transition. Second birth rates reacted almost immediately to societal disruption, whereas a more delayed change occurred for first births. Although abrupt changes in marriage and divorce rates also occurred, these changes often began before the transition and therefore may be part of longer-term developments. That second births were the most sensitive family event to the immediate change in conditions may be due to economic costs, but also unique characteristics related both to its lack of conferring a new social role on the individual, such as in the case of marriage and parenthood, and the narrower window of time in which this event usually occurs. The delayed changes in first births may instead reflect changes in norms and culture that influenced younger individuals when they reached childbearing ages. * This article belongs to a special issue on “Demographic Developments in Eastern and Western Europe Before and After the Transformation of Socialist Countries”.https://www.comparativepopulationstudies.de/index.php/CPoS/article/view/549marriagefirst birthssecond birthsdivorcepostponementpost-socialist
spellingShingle Sunnee Billingsley
Juho Härkönen
Maria Hornung
The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010
Comparative Population Studies
marriage
first births
second births
divorce
postponement
post-socialist
title The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010
title_full The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010
title_fullStr The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010
title_full_unstemmed The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010
title_short The Sensitivity of Family-Related Behaviors to Economic and Social Turbulence in Post-Socialist Countries, 1970-2010
title_sort sensitivity of family related behaviors to economic and social turbulence in post socialist countries 1970 2010
topic marriage
first births
second births
divorce
postponement
post-socialist
url https://www.comparativepopulationstudies.de/index.php/CPoS/article/view/549
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