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Starting a Family in Aberdeen 1961–79: The Significance of Illegitimacy and Abortion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Colin Pritchard  and
Barbara Thompson
Colin Pritchard
Affiliation:
MRC Medical Sociology Unit, Institute of Medical Sociology, Westburn Road, Aberdeen
Barbara Thompson
Affiliation:
MRC Medical Sociology Unit, Institute of Medical Sociology, Westburn Road, Aberdeen
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Summary

The age structure of the population of married women resident in Aberdeen District starting a family has changed over the last two decades. Since 1970, successive populations have tended to be smaller in numbers and older. These tendencies may, in part, be accounted for by couples delaying the start of family building and the related reduction in the proportions of legitimate first births which were prenuptially conceived. Although a feature of all social classes, the later ages and longer marriage durations are class differentiated, women of the higher social classes tending to be older and to have been married longer than those of the lower social classes. The increasing proportion of first pregnancies terminated relates closely to the decline in the proportion of single women, pregnant for the first time, who marry and bear a legitimate child. Although complete comparisons for Aberdeen and Scotland are not possible, the trends with respect to legitimate first births are similar.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , April 1982 , pp. 127 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © 1982, Cambridge University Press

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