Cascading Lives. Socio-Economic Status and the Gendered Pathways into Multipartnered Fertility in Four Nordic Countries

Stefano Arnolfo , Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Nicole Hiekel, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Aart C. Liefbroer, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI)

Multipartnered fertility (MPF) has become part and parcel of the changing demographic landscape in Nordic countries. However, there are substantial inconsistencies in the literature regarding the social gradient of childbearing across partnerships. This is also because, to this day, it is unclear what the best comparison group for MPF parents is. Existing research often compares socioeconomic status (SES) between single-partnered fertility (SPF) and MPF parents. However, this broad comparison overlooks the different role of SES across the array of partnership and fertility transitions leading to MPF, such as first parenthood, separation, and re-partnering. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining the selection process into MPF in Nordic countries and investigating SES variations in this process. We also delve into the gender-specific aspects of the selection process into MPF, exploring how SES impacts the likelihood of experiencing MPF differently between women and men. We utilize data from the Generation and Gender Survey round II for Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Employing nested logistic regression models and KHB decomposition, we aim to disentangle the complex relationship between SES and MPF across different family transitions. This approach will help shed light on whether MPF parents are distinct from some or all SPF parents in terms of SES, as well as provide insights into the gendered nature of the selection process. This research contributes to our understanding of the intersection between new fertility behaviors and the persistence of social and gender inequalities among the most egalitarian countries in Europe.

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 Presented in Session P1. Fertility, Family, Life Course