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Challenges for European Family and Fertility Research

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The Demography of Europe

Abstract

This chapter deals with challenges for fertility and family research in Europe. It discusses five major areas in which enhanced research efforts could make considerable contributions to the understanding of present and future fertility and family development: the development of more accurate measurements of fertility, the inclusion of institutions and institutional changes in micro-level fertility and family research, a more nuanced approach to values and cultural aspects in demographic investigations, and the need for theory development. The contribution also calls for better longitudinal, cross-national surveys, more qualitative research, and the development of better in-depth indicators grasping decision making processes and factors influencing them.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Peter McDonald

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  1. Peter McDonald
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Correspondence to Peter McDonald .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, Universitetsvägen 10B, Stockholm, 106-91, Sweden

    Gerda Neyer

  2. Dept. Sociology, Stockholm University, Universitetsvägen 10B, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden

    Gunnar Andersson

  3. Dept. Geography, University of Liverpool, Roxby Bldg., Liverpool, L69 7ZT, United Kingdom

    Hill Kulu

  4. , Life Course and Inequality Research Cent, University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Vidy, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland

    Laura Bernardi

  5. , Institute of Sociology, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 50, Hannover, 30167, Germany

    Christoph Bühler

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McDonald, P. (2013). Challenges for European Family and Fertility Research. In: Neyer, G., Andersson, G., Kulu, H., Bernardi, L., Bühler, C. (eds) The Demography of Europe. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8978-6_2

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