TY - JOUR
T1 - Family background, schooling and childlessness in Australia
AU - Parr, Nicholas J.
PY - 2005/3
Y1 - 2005/3
N2 - Using data from Wave 1 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, this paper analyses the extent to which childlessness among Australian women aged 40-54 years varies according to the size and type of family in which they were brought up, and the level and type of schooling they had. Multilevel logistic analysis shows that having been educated in a non-government school, having stayed at school to year 12, having a small number of siblings, at age 14 having a father who was either dead or absent, at age 14 having a father who was employed in a professional occupation, or being a migrant from North or West Europe, North America, East Asia or South-East Asia, all are significantly associated with higher rates of childlessness among women in the 40-54 years age range. The effects of these early lifecourse variables on marital and socioeconomic status in later life, and hence on childlessness, are also considered. The implications of the findings for fertility trends and for Australia's public debate are discussed.
AB - Using data from Wave 1 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, this paper analyses the extent to which childlessness among Australian women aged 40-54 years varies according to the size and type of family in which they were brought up, and the level and type of schooling they had. Multilevel logistic analysis shows that having been educated in a non-government school, having stayed at school to year 12, having a small number of siblings, at age 14 having a father who was either dead or absent, at age 14 having a father who was employed in a professional occupation, or being a migrant from North or West Europe, North America, East Asia or South-East Asia, all are significantly associated with higher rates of childlessness among women in the 40-54 years age range. The effects of these early lifecourse variables on marital and socioeconomic status in later life, and hence on childlessness, are also considered. The implications of the findings for fertility trends and for Australia's public debate are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=14644430447&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0021932004006546
DO - 10.1017/S0021932004006546
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15768776
AN - SCOPUS:14644430447
SN - 0021-9320
VL - 37
SP - 229
EP - 243
JO - Journal of Biosocial Science
JF - Journal of Biosocial Science
IS - 2
ER -