This policy brief is based on an analysis of Ireland and Iceland with respect to the causes that lead to their high fertility rates. Since Ireland is considered as a typical male breadwinner model country it is important to investigate the structural and institutional reasons and their underlying mechanisms that encourage child bearing. Iceland, on the other hand, has also an extremely high fertility rate, but contrary to Ireland there is high female labor force participation. The idea behind the comparison presented is that there are significant structural differences in both countries which should lead to different effects, but instead the outcome (in terms of birth rate) is almost identical in both countries.
The upcoming chapter tries to give an overview about existing studies dealing with the decline in fertility rate. This overview is followed by a general idea about the underlying theoretical conception of the presented comparison. It also will portray the categories in which the independent variables can be divided. In the following chapter the characteristics of a couple of influences of the countries of Ireland and Iceland will be described in detail. These characteristics will be compared and analyzed in Chapter 4, which also tries to give some hypotheses about how their influence affects the fertility rate. Chapter 5 finally will infer some implications for the policy makers in the investigated countries from the compiled hypotheses.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 THEORETICAL CONCEPTION
3 COUNTRY CHARACTERISTICS
3.1 IRELAND
3.2 ICELAND
4 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
5 IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY MAKERS
6 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this work is to investigate and compare the determinants of the high fertility rates in Ireland and Iceland, despite their vastly different socioeconomic structures and family policy models. The research seeks to identify how institutional factors, labor market conditions, and family support mechanisms influence fertility outcomes in both nations, aiming to provide evidence-based implications for policy makers.
- Comparative analysis of Irish and Icelandic socioeconomic structures.
- Evaluation of the impact of labor market participation, particularly female employment, on fertility.
- Examination of the role of family leave policies and state-supported incentives.
- Assessment of the correlation between unemployment rates and childbirth decisions.
- Formulation of policy recommendations for maintaining stable fertility levels.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Ireland
To examine reasons for the high fertility rate (cp. Appendix, Graph 1) in Ireland it is advisable to first have a look at the general economic situation of the country. At the beginning of the 20th century, Ireland was among the poorest European countries. Between 1845 and 1849 there has been the Great Famine in which 1.5 million Irishmen died of hunger. Since that time the country has undergone a lot of changes: after attaining the political independence in 1921 Ireland managed to a time of economic growth and is nowadays among the richest nations in the EU and worldwide. In 2004 its GDP per capita was $35,767 (OECD 2006). Graph 4 (see Appendix) shows that the GDP per capita for Ireland was in 1990 on a level lower than the OECD average, but then developed and meantime is on a level that is way beyond the OECD average. In Graph 3 (see Appendix) can be seen that the growth of the GDP has a quite erratic developing but is constantly on a higher level than the OECD total.
But despite its wealth the country has to deal with a couple of problems. It is barely imaginable that such a rich country has serious trouble with poverty, especially child poverty. But fact is that “Ireland ranks 16th out of 17 countries in the industrialized world. Only the USA has a higher percentage of its population living in poverty (UN Human Development Report 1998)”2. A possible explanation for the unimproved poverty could be that the economy hasn’t generated any noticeable outcome for the society yet because all earned money gets reinvestigated directly. If this was the case, then the poverty risk should significantly decrease within the next couple of years after the investigations have reached their highest level.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: Outlines the scope of the study, noting the paradoxical similarity in fertility rates between Ireland and Iceland despite different structural backgrounds.
2 THEORETICAL CONCEPTION: Discusses existing scientific literature on fertility decline and establishes the framework for analyzing fertility as a dependent variable affected by six economic and social categories.
3 COUNTRY CHARACTERISTICS: Provides a detailed descriptive analysis of the economic situations, labor market developments, and existing family policies in Ireland and Iceland.
4 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS: Correlates the observed country characteristics with fertility rates, resulting in three hypotheses regarding female labor participation, unemployment, and family policies.
5 IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY MAKERS: Translates the derived hypotheses into concrete recommendations for authorities to sustain current fertility levels.
6 CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the study's findings, highlighting the importance of the identified socioeconomic mechanisms and suggesting avenues for further research.
Keywords
Fertility rate, Ireland, Iceland, structural comparison, labor market participation, female employment, family policy, socioeconomic determinants, GDP, unemployment, parental leave, welfare state, policy implications, birth rate, modern society.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper examines the underlying causes of the high fertility rates in Ireland and Iceland, specifically comparing how different national structures and policies produce similar demographic outcomes.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers general economic development, labor market dynamics, welfare state spending, family policies, and demographic trends.
What is the central research question?
The research explores why two countries with significant structural differences in their labor markets and family policies maintain nearly identical, high fertility rates.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The study uses a comparative, structural analysis approach, utilizing OECD data and existing sociological research to form and test three specific hypotheses.
What does the main body of the paper discuss?
The main body presents individual country case studies, performs a comparative structural analysis, and deduces implications for future policy-making based on identified socio-economic trends.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include fertility rate, family policy, female labor participation, structural comparison, and socioeconomic determinants.
Why is the comparison between Ireland and Iceland particularly interesting?
It is unique because Ireland is traditionally seen as a "male breadwinner" model, whereas Iceland has very high female labor market participation, yet both countries achieve high birth rates.
How do family policies differ between the two countries?
The study notes that Icelandic policies are more extensive, including explicit paternal leave provisions and better payment benefits compared to the Irish system.
What is the conclusion regarding social expenditure?
The author concludes that there is no clear, direct relation between public social expenditure levels and fertility rates within the observed period.
- Quote paper
- Florian Wohlkinger (Author), 2007, Determinants of the Fertility Rates in Ireland and Iceland, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/117158
