Thesis defense - Mattia Oliviero - PhD Sociology and Social Research

Venue: Palazzo di Sociologia, via Verdi 26 (Trento) - Meeting room, second floor
Time: 11.30 AM

Thesis: Fertility Decisions in Context - Individual and Couple Dynamics
Abstract
This thesis contributes to enhance our knowledge on fertility decisions by addressing two major issues. First, it contributes to the understanding of the factors behind the differences in fertility levels among European countries by tackling the challenging and much-debated ‘economy vs culture’ dichotomy. Second, it adds to the fertility topic by examining simultaneously each step of the fertility decision-making process from the measurement of benefits and costs towards the idea of having a child to the formation and realization of fertility intentions using a couple perspective. In order to provide these contributions, after a detailed review of the literature, major attention is dedicated to the analysis of the differences in terms of fertility levels between the European countries (Chapter 2). Chapter 3 investigates the fertility decision-making process exploiting the unique information of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA), which allows for a dyadic as well as longitudinal analysis of the overall process. The last chapter examines in-depth the transition to parenthood among couples of diverse ethnic origins in Australia.

• PhD student: Mattia Oliviero
• Supervisor: Stefani Scherer, University of Trento

Examination Board:

• Marco Albertini, University of Bologna
• Daniele Vignoli, University of Florence
• Anna Matysiak, Vienna Institute of Demography