Citation

Bühler, Christoph (2004). Additional work, family agriculture, and the birth of a first or a second child in Russia at the beginning of the 1990s. Population Research and Policy Review, 23(3), 259-289.

Abstract

At the beginning of the transition period, many Russian households faced substantial economic hardships & uncertainties. An economic downturn had become one of the major factors responsible for the significant & rapid decline of Russian fertility. However, many households tried to cope with this situation by engaging in multiple income generating activities & the cultivation of food on private plots of land. The question therefore arises whether these activities had a positive impact on fertility decisions. This paper explores the association between additional employment or subsistence measures (second jobs, part-time self-employment, & part-time family agriculture) & the probability to have a first or a second child in Russia during 1990 & the spring of 1993. Data from 966 respondents from the Russian component of the survey "Social Stratification in Eastern Europe after 1989: General Population Survey" show that activities that generate an additional income were positively associated with the birth of a second child. This is especially the case if these activities produce half of a respondent's or her household's income. The birth of a second child was also positively associated with the fact that a household consumed food that was cultivated by the household itself. However, none of these activities was significantly connected with the birth of a first child. 3 Tables, 3 Figures, 53 References. Adapted from the source document.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:POPU.0000034100.51781.d3

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2004

Journal Title

Population Research and Policy Review

Author(s)

Bühler, Christoph