Zeitschriftenartikel
Family formation in post-Soviet Ukraine: changing effects of education in a period of rapid social change
Perelli-Harris, B.
Social Forces, 87:2, 767–794 (2008)
Abstract
Focusing on post-Soviet Ukraine, this paper examines how
social transformations changed family formation, leading to
the world’s lowest fertility rate. The findings show that before
Ukraine gained independence, highly educated women had
higher first birth rates after controlling for school enrollment and
marriage. After independence, highly educated women began to
delay childbearing. In contrast, second birth and marriage rates
declined after independence, but the effect of education on these
events did not change. Explanations for the changing effects of
education on first births include the restructured educational
system, shifting opportunity costs, reduction in childcare benefits,
and exposure to new ideas and values. This study demonstrates how societal-level change not only alters the composition of individual-level characteristics in a population, but also affects the relationship between factors and behavior.
Schlagwörter: Ukraine, fertility