Childbearing

Question 1

What are the patterns of childbearing?

Answer 1

More births outside of marriage
Women having children later
Woman are having ewer children
More women remain child free

Question 2

What are the reason for more births outside of marriage?

Answer 2

Increase in cohabitation - unmarried coupes that live together have children.
Secularisation - children born outside off marriage are no longer seen as illegitimate
Changing in social attitudes
Women’s independence

Question 3

What is the average age for a first time mother

Answer 3

29

Question 4

What are reasons for women having children later in life?

Answer 4

women want to establish careers first
Advance in medical technology
Women are staying in education longer
Delaying getting married

Question 5

What are reasons for women having fewer children?

Answer 5

Due to women delaying having children until later in life = fertility problems
Children are expensive
More reliable contraception = women can control the amount of children they have.
Women prioritise their careers
Child-centredness - pay more attention to child needs to only have one or two

Question 6

Reason to why Remain child free?

Answer 6

Changing in social attitudes
Prioritise careers over children
More reliable contraception

Question 7

What do postmodernists say about changing in social attitudes for child free women

Answer 7

Women choosing to child free reflects growing individualism