Abstract
Television and celebrity are ubiquitous in the industrial world and, increasingly, in the developing world. Making the connection between television and childbearing preferences may seem a leap of faith, but recent studies are increasingly finding links (Basten 2010). This chapter briefly outlines the relationship between television and fertility in the developing world, then presents some recent research and thoughts on television in lower fertility settings to suggest how television could influence childbearing decisions. The over-arching message is that this relationship is woefully under-researched, especially given the ubiquitous nature of television and celebrity in the modern world.
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© 2013 Stuart Basten
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Basten, S. (2013). Declining Fertility, Television and the (Mis)representation of Motherhood. In: Buchanan, A., Rotkirch, A. (eds) Fertility Rates and Population Decline. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137030399_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137030399_11
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