Population, Family and Welfare: v.2

In Europe, population changes are taking place which require increasing attention by policymakers as well as social scientists. The decline in fertility and the rise in longevity are changing the structure of the European population. In this situation, the PPA Surveys on Population Policy Attitudes and Acceptance were carried out in the early 1990s in nine European countries: Austria, the former Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. The main goal of these surveys was to analyse the values and attitudes affecting couples' decisions regarding procreation, the perception of the advantages of having children, Europeans aspirations in life, their favourite living arrangements and their preferences in the task of reconciling work and family for mothers. The impact of population-oriented policy on the workplace and family was also considered. Volume 1 of Population, Family and Welfare focused on the individual countries concerned. This second volume presents the results from the PPA surveys in a comparative perspective, analysing the common themes across the European spectrum. This comparison of values, attitudes, and preferences concerning the family and children in countries with similar population trends will lead to a better understanding of intentions and choices in the field of reproduction and of the role policy-makers can play.Table of Content1. Perceptions of Population Issues and their Consequences: Scholars, Governments, and Public Opinions; 2. The Background of European Fertility Patterns: A Typology of Similarities and Dissimilarities in Values and Attitudes; 3. Value Preferences and Attitudes on Population; 4. The Image of the Family; 5. Living Arrangements, Gainful Employment, and the Evaluation of Family Policy Measure; 6. Reconciling Work and the Family: Women's Intentions and Behaviour; 7. Determinants of Preferences regarding the Reconciliation of Work and the Family and Requests to Policy-makers; 8. The Image of the State regarding Welfare Policies; 9. Welfare and Solidarity towards the Family; 10. Support for Child Allowances and Parental Leave; 11. The Impact of Social Policies on Reproductive Behaviour; 12. Conclusions; Appendix: The Demographic Situation in PPA Countries; Index