MPIDR Working Paper

Seasonality of birth in nineteenth and twentieth century Austria: steps toward a unified theory of human reproductive seasonality

Doblhammer, G., Rodgers, J. L., Rau, R.
MPIDR Working Paper WP-1999-013
Rostock, Max-Planck-Institut für demografische Forschung (November 1999)
Open Access

Abstract

We present an analysis of birth seasonality in nine geographical regions within Austria for two time periods, 1881-1912 and 1947-1959. In the early period, geography, climate, and agricultural patterns were related to birth seasonality. By the later time period, these factors were no longer related to birth seasonality. We propose a “resilience hypothesis,” which suggests two levels of causal influences on birth seasonality. First, underlying the three significant features of birth seasonality patterns around the world are only a small number of major causes. But, second, there are a multiplicity of minor causes that result in small perturbations in the patterns.(AUTHORS)
Das Max-Planck-Institut für demografische Forschung (MPIDR) in Rostock ist eines der international führenden Zentren für Bevölkerungswissenschaft. Es gehört zur Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, einer der weltweit renommiertesten Forschungsgemeinschaften.