Economic resources and single motherhood: incidence and resolution of premarital childbearing among young American women

This paper analyses the impact of economic resources on the likelihood of out-of-wedlock childbearing and the consequent family formation behaviour after such an event. The analysis is undertaken by specifying a multi-state, multi-spell duration model, with dynamic interactions. The results suggest that the economic resources which young women face are indeed important, not only as determinants of premarital childbearing, but also for how out-of-wedlock childbearing is resolved. Simulations indicates that welfare generosity and family resources are the most important determinants, whereas personal earnings potential plays a less important role. (AUTHORS)

New records and additions to the hepatic flora of Uganda 2

82 liverwort taxa are recorded from Uganda, of which 24 are new to the flora of the country. Colura hedbergiana, Colura kilimanjarica and Harpalejeunea fischeri found on Mt. Elgon, were previously known only from their type locality on Mt. Kilimanjaro or on Mt. Karisimbi. A Madagascan-Mascarene species, Plagiochila boryana was also found on Mt. Elgon. Its only known previous locality in continental Africa was Mt. Kilimanjaro

Youth poverty and transition to adulthood in Europe

There is an increasing amount of research focussing on the transition to adulthood, a stage of the life cycle where young people face demanding life decisions, including completion of education, finding stable employment, and establishing their household and family. Whereas there is a well-developed literature on poverty among households in general, very little research has focused on poverty among young adults. Using the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) we provide a detailed description of youth poverty in Europe. Across the European Union youth poverty varies greatly, being higher in Southern European countries, as well as in the ‘liberal’ regimes of the UK and Ireland. However, there are also large variations in the extent of youth poverty within countries, between what we might term 'younger youth' (aged 16-19) and 'older youth' aged (25-29). In the UK, poverty rates among 'younger youth' are much higher than among 'older youth', suggesting that poverty among young people is closely associated with child poverty. In the Scandinavian countries, poverty peaks dramatically in the early twenties, indicating that in these countries, poverty is associated with leaving home

The role of income in marriage and divorce transitions among young Americans

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Women´s wages and childbearing decisions: Evidence from Italy

During the early 1990s, Italy became one of the first countries to reach lowest-low fertility. This was also a period in which women´s education and labour force participation increased. We analyze the role of women´s (potential) wages on their fertility decisions by making use of two different surveys. This enables us to apply discrete-time duration models. For first births, we find evidence of non-proportional hazards and of some "recuperation" effects; for second and third births, instead, wage exhibits small intensity although there is a clear division between Northern and Southern Italian regions.childbearing decisions, discrete time duration models, lowest-low fertility

Albania: Trends and patterns, proximate determinants and policies of fertility change

For a very long time, Albania has had one of the highest levels of fertility in Europe: in 2002 the total fertility rate of 2.2 children per woman was the highest in Europe. Although this current level is high, the country has experienced a rapid fertility reduction during the last 50 years: a TFR decline from 7 to 2.2. This reduction has occurred in the absence of modern contraception and abortion, which indicates the significance of investments in the social agenda during the communist regime that produced policies with indirect effects on fertility. Most significant of these were policies focused on education, in particular on female education. Social and demographic settings for a further fertility reduction in Albania have been present since 1990. Contraception and abortion have been legalized and available since the early 1990s, but knowledge of their use is still not widespread in the country, largely due to the interplay between traditional and modern norms of Albanian society. This chapter points out that future fertility levels will be determined not only by new policies that might be introduced, but predominantly by the balance of this interplay.Albania, childbearing, Europe, fertility, fertility change

Changing pattern of fertility behaviour in a time of social and economic change: evidence from Mongolia

In 1989, after a long period of socialist rule, Mongolia initiated a democratisation process of its political system together with a transition towards a market economy. This paper examines how changes in socio-economic conditions in Mongolia have affected fertility patterns in recent times. It also provides an outline of changes that have taken place in terms of pro-natalist policies. The study is based on data from the Reproductive Health Survey of Mongolia (RHSM) conducted in 1998. In terms of economic activity we find an inverse, although weak, relationship for older cohorts. This is in strong contrast to the young cohort, for which the economic downturn has had a strongly depressing effect on fertility. We also find important effects of micro level variables, including education and housing. Our findings suggest that the fertility decline observed for the older cohorts are very much part of the first demographic transition, in which the collapse of pro-natalist policies has been influential. (AUTHOR)

Does fertility decrease household consumption?

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the relationship between fertility and a direct measure of poverty for Indonesia, a country, which has experienced unprecedented economic growth and sharp fertility declines over recent decades. It focuses on illustrating the sensitivity of the effect of fertility on household consumption with respect to the equivalence scale by applying the propensity score matching method. The analysis suggests that a newborn child decreases household consumption per person by 20 percent within four years. When the estimates of equivalence scales implied by the Indonesian sample are applied, the effect of a child on household consumption is still negative, but the magnitudes are in the range from 20 to 65 percent of that found with the per-capita expenditure as a measure of consumption. Therefore, it is suggested that the analysis based on the conventional measure of poverty is likely to exaggerate the effect of fertility on poverty at least because of the neglect of the proper equivalence scale.consumption, equivalence scale, fertility, Indonesia, poverty dynamics

Victorian entertainments : "we are amused" : an exhibit illustrating Victorian entertainment.

Midwest Victorian Studies Association. Meeting (2007)published or submitted for publicationnot peer reviewe