Childbearing behaviour in Hungary: assessing structural and ideational factors

Zsolt Speder, Demographic Research Institute, Budapest
Balazs Kapitany, Demographic Research Institute, Budapest

We will evaluate the effects of objective factors and ideational features (the first wave data from 2001) on childbearing behaviour (first and second births until the 2nd wave in 2005) using a Hungarian panel survey (HGGS) in order to understand new fertility behaviour around the millennium. Among the objective factors we can include partnership status and age, material well being (income, living conditions, housing etc.), occupational status and education and some features of socialisation. Detailed description of the quality of the partnership, general value orientations, general perception of the society (anomie, uncertenaity) age norms, gender attitudes and fertility intentions in 2001 will be used as ideational factors. We assume that strength of influence differs according to the parity of childbirth and according to gender. Therefore separate models will be used for first and second births and male and female respondents. We will use logistic regression for the analysis.