Study of Women's Attitude toward Value of Children (Case Study: Women 15-49 Years Old of Shiraz City)

Introduction Value of children from the perspective of parents is investigated by researchers interested in understanding the population dynamics more than three decades of study. The perceived value of children forms the parents' motives of childbearing and reproduction. The value of children stem from the costs and benefits of children. Various socioeconomic and psychological approaches address the particular costs and benefits of having children and show their significance for reproductive intentions and behavior. The theory of the Value of Children, however, aims to consider all positive and negative incentives that matter in fertility-related decision-making (Fawcett 1978). The theory of the Value of Children intends to understand fertility as an outcome of purposeful decision-making by referring to parental needs being met by children (Hoffman and Hoffman 1973). Whereas traditional economic theories emphasize the costs of children, the "value of children" approach encompasses also the supply side of children, i.e., the benefits children bring for their (potential) parents under variable social and economic conditions (Nauck, 2014). Materials & Methods The current study aims at investigating the value of children from the view point of Shirazi women. The study is a quantitative one based on survey method. The data gathered by questionnaire. The sample of study consists of 381 married women of 15-49. Data gathered by using survey method, and sample consists of 381 15-49 married women. The gathering of data was done using self- reporting questionnaire. Categorizing the values of children is based on Fawcett's typology of children's values. According to principal components analysis, categories of values of children include emotional benefits and costs, continuum of family line, identity acquisition via childbearing, opportunity costs, self- development and economic benefits and costs. The main variable of study "overall value of children" was constructed via factor analysis loading scores. Independent variables of study include age, age at first marriage, husband's age at marriage, and duration of marriage, education, husband's education, Family income, socio economic status, occupation, residence & ideal family size. Discussion of Results & Conclusions Findings of study indicate that emotional aspect of value of children, economic value of children, continuum of family line, opportunity costs, self- development, identity acquisition, are different in terms of education, age, age at marriage, place of birth, family income, and occupation status. In terms of age a significant relationship exists between age and economic benefits of children (r=0.151) and parents' self-development. The relationship between age at marriage and economic benefits and continuation of family line was significantly negative (r= - 0.212 & r= -0.132). The relation between duration of marriage and the idea that children are economically beneficial is positive too (r = 0.216). The relationship between education and almost all aspects of children's value are negative. The correlation coefficients in terms of emotional value, economic benefits, self-development and continuation of family are r= -0.175, r= -0.338, r= -0.207 and r= -0.282 respectively. This means that educated people value having children less than none educated ones. The relationship between family income and value of children resemble to education. The family income has reverse relationship with economic benefits (r = -0.174), continuum of family line (r = -0.175), identity acquisition via childbearing (r = -0.129), and self-development (r = -0.152). According the results of study, value of children in terms of economic benefits, self-development, and continuum of family line are more significant for women who were born in rural areas. In addition the ideal family size has a negative correlation with emotional benefits (r = -0/168) and completed fertility show a positive relationship with economic benefits (r = 0.212). Generally, the result of study indicates that increasing in education; occupation status and more favorable economic condition lead to the fact that, parents value children lower in terms of economic benefits, identity acquisition and continuum of family line