IUSSP Scientific Panel on Policies in the Context of Low Fertility

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IUSSP Scientific Panel on Policies in the Context of Low Fertility

Call for papers

International Seminar on Fertility and Public Policies in Low Fertility Countries
Organized by the IUSSP Scientific Panel on Policies in the Context of Low Fertility
Barcelona, Spain, 7-9 July 2008

Call For Papers

Nearly half of the world’s population currently lives in countries with below replacement fertility, including both developed and, increasingly, developing countries. Very low fertility (i.e. TFR less than 1.5 children per woman) has been attained in more than 30 countries of Europe and Asia, including countries with very different socio-economic and political contexts. These trends imply, in the short or long term, an acute population ageing process and substantial declines in the population size on national and regional levels. Important adaptations of both social institutions and individuals to these evolutions will be required to cope with this new demographic reality of the 21st century. Therefore governments are increasingly considering policy interventions aimed at raising the number of births.

A substantial body of research has been devoted to the question of whether and how policies affect the tempo and the level of fertility. However, the reviews of research on this issue often show only weak associations, and contradicting or inconclusive results. Yet, existing research highlights the wide range of public interventions that may have an impact on fertility. Theoretical accounts suggest that such diverse dimensions as the economic (in)security and welfare of individuals and families, gender equity, and social norms are relevant for fertility decisions. They also suggest the importance of interactions and complementarities among policies, paying attention to possible counterbalancing or reinforcing effects of different sets of policies in domains such as the labour market, tax and income support, care for dependants, or housing policy. This complexity undoubtedly constitutes a challenge to empirical research. Existing research has also shown the sensitivity of particular policies to the socio-economic and cultural contexts. Given the diversity of socio-economic and cultural contexts, factors at the level of individuals or households have a potentially different impact on behaviour within different macro contexts. Furthermore, social interactions contribute to maintaining the persistent diversity of behaviours. In addition, very little research has investigated the responses of governments to reduced fertility levels.

The main goal of this seminar will be to bring together researchers in the areas of fertility and public policy, including researchers with different views on the conceptualisation of policy impacts and policy formation, covering a diverse set of low fertility countries. Theoretical, empirical, as well as methodological papers are welcome. Studies that place the effects of policies in a wider social, political, economic, and cultural context, as well as comparative research, are particularly welcome.

This seminar will cover the following topics:
• What are the relevant differences and similarities between different World regions/countries?
• How important are institutional and policy effects? Is there scope for political intervention in curtailing future declines in fertility?
• How important are labour market policies and other economic conditions? How do these interact with family policies?
• Do redistribution policies affect fertility? What are the consequences of social inequalities?
• How important are care policies and gender inequalities?
• What are the appropriate methods and measures for estimating the impact of policies?
• How do existing policies interact with the values, attitudes and norms of different groups in the population?
• What are the perceptions and evaluations of population policy? How do they affect policy formation?
• What are the consequences and alternatives to pronatalist policies? Should very low fertility countries adopt pronatalist policies?

The IUSSP Scientific Panel on Policies in the Context of Low Fertility invites researchers in the field to submit a detailed 500-1000 word abstract (and if the author(s) wish, a full paper which must be unpublished) and submitted online before 11 January 2008.

Deadline for abstract: 11 January 2008.
Applicants will be informed whether paper is accepted by: 21 February 2008.
Participants must submit their complete paper by: 7 June 2008.

The seminar will be limited to a maximum of 25 contributed papers. If the paper is co-authored, please indicate the names of co-authors at the end of the abstract. Submission should be made by the author who will attend the seminar.

Abstracts and papers must be submitted in English only and the working language at the meeting is English. In addition to dissemination through posting on the member-restricted portion of the IUSSP website, seminar organizers will explore possibilities for publishing the papers, after the seminar.

Current funding for the seminar is limited; efforts are under way to raise additional funds, but the outcome is at this point uncertain. Participants are therefore encouraged to seek their own funding to cover the cost of their participation in the seminar. Those who are applying for financial assistance from the IUSSP should indicate their need when they submit by selecting the appropriate option.

For further information, please contact Pau Baizan (pau.baizan@upf.edu).

Scientific Panel on Policies in the Context of Low Fertility:
Chair: Pau Baizan (Pompeu Fabra University)
Members: Minja Kim Choe (East-west Center), Hans-Peter Kohler (University of Pennsylvania), Gerda Neyer (Max Planck Institute), Naohiro Ogawa (Nihon University), Baochang Gu (Renmin University of China).