Changes in gender role attitudes and fertility : a macro-level analysis

This study explores whether changes in fertility rates are associated/nwith the diffusion of gender-equitable attitudes. We argue that any/npositive effect on fertility requires not only that the level of genderequitable/nattitudes must be high overall, but also that they are similar/nfor men and women. Our analyses are based on a sample of twentyseven/ncountries using data from the World Values Surveys and/nEuropean Values Studies. We find support for a U-shaped relationship/nbetween changes in gender role attitudes and fertility: an initial drop in/nfertility is observed as countries move from a traditional to a more/ngender symmetric model. Beyond a certain threshold, additional/nincreases in gender egalitarianism become positively associated with/nfertility. This non-linear relationship is moderated by the difference in/nattitudes between men and women: when there is more agreement,/nchanges are more rapid and the effect of gender egalitarian attitudes on/nfertility is stronger