Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T00:14:06.317Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

RESEARCHERS, RELIGION AND CHILDLESSNESS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2015

Isabella Buber-Ennser*
Affiliation:
Wittgenstein Centre, Vienna Institute of Demography/Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
Vegard Skirbekk
Affiliation:
Columbia University, New York, USA
*
1Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

Summary

This study analysed childlessness and religion among female research scientists in the Austrian context. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of religion in intended childlessness and realized childlessness. The analysis was based on a representative sample of Austrian women aged 25–45 (N=2623), with a specific sample of female research scientists aged 25–45 (N=186), carried out in the framework of the Generations and Gender Survey conducted in 2008/09. The results indicate that religious affiliation and self-assessed religiosity are strongly related to fertility. Multivariate analyses reveal that education has no explanatory power in terms of explaining intended childlessness, once religious affiliation and self-assessed religiosity are taken into consideration.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press, 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ajzen, I. (1991) The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50.Google Scholar
Armenti, C. (2004) Women faculty seeking tenure and parenthood: lessons from previous generations. Cambridge Journal of Education 34, 6583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Auferkorte-Michaelis, N., Metz-Göckel, S., Wergen, J. & Klein, A. (2006) Junge Elternschaft und Wissenschaftskarriere. Wie kinderfreundlich sind Wissenschaft und Universitäten? [Young parenthood and scientific career. How child-friendly are science and universities?]. Zeitschrift für Frauenforschung und Geschlechterstudien 23, 1423.Google Scholar
Berghammer, C. (2012a) Church attendance and childbearing: evidence from a Dutch panel study, 1987–2005. Population Studies 66, 197212.Google Scholar
Berghammer, C. (2012b) Family life trajectories and religiosity in Austria. European Sociological Review 28, 127144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berghammer, C. (2014) The return of the male breadwinner model? Educational effects on parents’ work arrangements in Austria, 1980–2009. Work, Employment and Society 28, 611623.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buber, I. (2010) Wissenschaftlerinnen in Österreich – Zusatzerhebung im Rahmen des GGS. Dokumentation der Datenerhebung und deskriptive Ergebnisse. [Female researchers in Austria – Additional sample within the GGS. Documentation of data collection and descriptive results.] Vienna Institute of Demography, VID Working Paper 2/2010, Vienna.Google Scholar
Buber, I., Berghammer, C. & Prskawetz, A. (2011) Doing science forgoing children. Vienna Institute of Demography, VID Working Paper 1/2011, Vienna.Google Scholar
Buchholz, L. (2004) Wissenschaftskarrieren an österreichischen Universitäten. Erfahrungen und Einstellungen von Professorinnen und Professoren. [Scientific careers at Austrian universities. Experience and attitudes of male and female professors.] In Appelt, E. (ed.) Karriereschere. Geschlechterverhältnisse im österreichischen Wissenschaftsbetrieb. [Career Gap. Gender Relations in the Austrian Academia.] LIT, Vienna, pp. 7191.Google Scholar
Choe, M. K. & Retherford, R. D. (2009) The contribution of education to South Korea’s fertility decline to ‘lowest-low’ level. Asian Population Studies 5, 267288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coombs, L. C. (1979) Reproductive goals and achieved fertility: a fifteen-year perspective. Demography 16, 523534.Google Scholar
Ecklund, E. H. (2010) Science vs. Religion. What Scientists Really Think. Oxford University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Ecklund, E. H. & Scheitle, C. P. (2007) Religion among academic scientists: distinctions, disciplines, and demographics. Social Problems 54, 289307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fassmann, H. & Reeger, U. (2007) Lebensformen und soziale Situation von Zuwanderinnen. [Living and social situation of immigrants]. In Fassmann, H., (ed.) 2. Österreichischer Migrations- und Integrationsbericht 2001-2006: Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen, demographische Entwicklungen, sozioökonomische Strukturen. [2nd Austrian Report on Migration and Integration 2001–2006: Legal Framework, Demographic Developments, Socio-economic Structures.] Drava, Vienna. pp. 183200.Google Scholar
Fieder, M., Huber, S. & Bookstein, F. L. (2011) Socioeconomic status, marital status and childlessness in men and women: an analysis of census data from six countries. Journal of Biosocial Science 43, 619635.Google Scholar
Fieder, M., Huber, S., Bookstein, F. L., Iber, K., Schäfer, K., Winckler, G. & Wallner, B. (2005) Status and reproduction in humans: new evidence for the validity of evolutionary explanations on basis of a University sample. Ethology 111, 940950.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frejka, T. & Westoff, C. F. (2008) Religion, religiousness and fertility in the US and in Europe. European Journal of Population 24, 531.Google Scholar
Gauthier, A.H. (2002) Family policies in industrialized countries: is there convergence? Population-E 57, 447474.Google Scholar
Goldin, C. & Katz, L. F. (2002) The power of the pill: oral contraceptives and women’s career and marriage decisions. Journal of Political Economy 110, 730770.Google Scholar
Gordo, L. R. & Skirbekk, V. (2013) Skill demand and the comparative advantage of age: jobs tasks and earnings from the 1980s to the 2000s in Germany. Labour Economics 22, 6169.Google Scholar
Goujon, A., Skirbekk, V., Fliegenschnee, K. & Strzelecki, P. (2007) New times, old beliefs: projecting the future size of religions in Austria. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, 237270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamovitch, W. & Morgenstern, R. D. (1977) Children and the productivity of academic women. Journal of Higher Education 48, 633645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hargens, L. L., McCann, J. C. & Reskin, B. F. (1978) Productivity and reproductivity: fertility and professional achievement among research scientists. Social Forces 57, 154163.Google Scholar
Hubert, S. (2014) The Impact of Religiosity on Fertility. A Comparative Analysis of France, Hungary, Norway and Germany. Springer, Wiesbaden.Google Scholar
Hunter, L. A. & Leahey, E. (2010) Parenting and research productivity: new evidence and methods. Social Studies of Science 40, 433451.Google Scholar
Kaufmann, E., Goujon, A. & Skirbekk, V. (2012) The end of secularization in Europe? A socio-demographic perspective. Sociology of Religion 73, 6991.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kemkes-Grottenthaler, A. (2003) Postponing or rejecting parenthood? Results of a survey among female academic professionals. Journal of Biosocial Science 35, 213216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krimmer, H., Stallmann, F., Behr, M. & Zimmer, A. (2004) Karrierewege von ProfessorInnen an Hochschulen in Deutschland. [Career Paths of Professors at Universities in Germany.] Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Münster.Google Scholar
Krivanek, D. (2013) Denn vor Gott sind alle Menschen gleich (Römer 2, 11) – Eine Religionssoziologische Studie über die steigende Anzahl der Kirchenaustritte. [“For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11) – A Religious-Sociological Study on the Increasing Number of People Leaving the Church.] University of Vienna, Vienna.Google Scholar
Lee, R. D. (1980) Aiming at a moving target: period fertility and changing reproductive goals. Population Studies 34, 205226.Google Scholar
Lehrer, E. L. (1996) Religion as a determinant of marital fertility. Journal of Population Economics 9, 173196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liefbroer, A. C. (2009) Changes in family size intentions across young adulthood: a life-course perspective. European Journal of Population 25, 363386.Google Scholar
Lind, I. (2008) Balancing career and family in higher education – new trends and results. In Grenz, S., Kortendiek, B., Kriszio, M. & Löther, A. (eds) Gender Equality Programmes in Higher Education. VS Verlag Sozialwissenschaften, Berlin. pp. 193208.Google Scholar
Lind, I. (2010) Was verhindert Elternschaft? Zum Einfluss wissenschaftlicher Kontextfaktoren und individueller Perspektiven auf generative Entscheidungen des wissenschaftlichen Personals. [What impedes parenthood? The influence of scientific contextual factors and individual perspectives on reproductive decisions among scientific staff.] In Bauschke-Urban, C., Kemphans, M. & Sagebiel, F. (eds) Subversion und Intervention. Wissenschaft und Geschlechter(un)ordnung. [Subversion and Intervention. Research and Gender (Dis)order.] Budrich, Opladen und Farmington Hills, pp. 155178.Google Scholar
McQuillan, K. (2004) When does religion influence fertility? Population and Development Review 30, 2556.Google Scholar
Manning, A. (2004) We can work it out: the impact of technological change on the demand for low-skill workers. Scottish Journal of Political Economy 51, 581608.Google Scholar
Metz-Göckel, S. (2009) Wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchs ohne Nachwuchs? Zwischenergebnisse des Projekts ‚“Wissen-oder Elternschaft? Kinderlosigkeit und Beschäftigungsverhältnisse an Hochschulen in Deutschland”. [Young Scientists Without Offspring? Intermediate Results of the Project “Science or Parenthood? Childlessness and Employment Conditions at German Universities”.] Hochschuldidaktisches Zentrum, Technische Universität Dortmund.Google Scholar
Monroe, K., Ozyurt, S., Wrigley, T. & Alexander, A. (2008) Gender equality in Academia: bad news from the trenches, and some possible solutions. Perspectives on Politics 6, 215233.Google Scholar
Murnane, R. J., Willett, J. B. & Levy, F. (1995) The growing importance of cognitive skills in wage determination. Review of Economics and Statistics 77, 251266.Google Scholar
Nauck, B. & Klaus, D. (2007) The varying value of children: empirical results from eleven societies in Asia, Africa and Europe. Current Sociology 55, 487503.Google Scholar
O’Laughlin, E. M. & Bischoff, L. (2005) Balancing parenthood and academia: work/family stress as influenced by gender and tenure status. Journal of Family Issues 26, 79106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
PEW (2012) The Global Religious Landscape. PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Philipov, D. & Berghammer, C. (2007) Religion and fertility ideals, intentions and behaviour: a comparative study of European countries. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, 271305.Google Scholar
Prskawetz, A., Sobotka, T., Buber, I., Engelhardt, H. & Gisser, R. (2008) Austria: persistent low fertility since the mid-1980s. Demographic Research 19, 293360.Google Scholar
Quesnel-Vallée, A. & Morgan, S. P. (2003) Missing the target? Correspondence of fertility intentions and behavior in the U.S. Population Research and Policy Review 22, 497525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rille-Pfeiffer, C. & Kapella, O. (2012) Kinderbetreuungsgeld. Evaluierung einer familienpolitischen Maßnahme. [Childcare Allowance. Evaluating a Family-Policy Measure.] Austrian Institute for Family Research, Schriftenreihe Band 15, Innsbruck.Google Scholar
Romanin, S. & Over, R. (1993) Australian academics: career patterns, work roles, and family life-cycle commitments of men and women. Higher Education 26, 411429.Google Scholar
Skirbekk, V. (2008) Fertility trends by social status. Demographic Research 18, 145180.Google Scholar
Skirbekk, V., Kaufmann, E. & Goujon, A. (2010) Secularism, fundamentalism, or Catholicism? The religious composition of the United States to 2043. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 49, 293310.Google Scholar
Skirbekk, V., Kohler, H-P. & Prskawetz, A. (2004) Birth month, school graduation, and the timing of births and marriages. Demography 41, 547568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skoog Svanberg, A., Lampic, C., Karlström, P-O. & Tydén, T. (2006) Attitudes toward parenthood and awareness of fertility among postgraduate students in Sweden. Gender Medicine 3, 187195.Google Scholar
Sobotka, T. (2009) Sub-replacement fertility intentions in Austria. European Journal of Population 25, 387412.Google Scholar
Sobotka, T. (2010) Shifting parenthood to advanced reproductive ages: trends, causes and consequences. In Tremmel, J. C. (ed.) A Young Generation Under Pressure? The Financial Situation and the “Rush Hour” of the Cohorts 1970–1985 in a Generational Comparison. Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg, pp. 12154.Google Scholar
Sobotka, T. (2011) Fertility in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland: is there a common pattern? Comparative Population Studies/Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft 36, 263304.Google Scholar
Spielauer, M. (2005) Concentration of reproduction in Austria: general trends and differentials by educational attainment and urban–rural setting. In Lutz, W. & Feichtinger, G. (eds) Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2005. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna, pp. 171195.Google Scholar
van Anders, S. M. (2004) Why the academic pipeline leaks: fewer men than women perceive barriers to becoming professors. Sex Roles 51, 511521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Bavel, J. (2006) The effect of fertility limitation on intergenerational social mobility: the quality-quantity trade-off during the Demographic Transition. Journal of Biosocial Science 38, 553569.Google Scholar
Vaughan, T. R., Smith, D. H. & Gideon, S. (1966) The religious orientations of American natural scientists. Social Forces 44, 519526.Google Scholar
Wasserman, E.. (2002) The Door in the Dream: Conversations with Eminent Women in Science. Joseph Henry Press, Washington.Google Scholar
Whittington, K. B. (2011) Mothers of invention? Gender, motherhood, and new dimensions of productivity in the science profession. Work and Occupations 38, 417456.Google Scholar
Williams, J. C. (2004) Hitting the maternal wall. Academe 90, 1620.Google Scholar