Two-child ideal: Difference between revisions

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The two-child ideal could be manifested in these forms:
The two-child ideal could be manifested in these forms:


* At the level of [[ideal fertility]]: For questions about ideal fertility (questions of the form "How many children should there be in an ideal family?"), a significant majority of people give the answer 2.
# At the level of [[ideal fertility]]: For questions about ideal fertility (questions of the form "How many children should there be in an ideal family?"), a significant majority of people give the answer 2.
* At the level of [[desired fertility]]: For questions about desired fertility (questions of the form "How many children would you like in ''your'' family?"), a significant majority of people give the answer 2.
# At the level of [[desired fertility]]: For questions about desired fertility (questions of the form "How many children would you like in ''your'' family?"), a significant majority of people give the answer 2.
* At the level of [[completed fertility]]: A significant majority of women have two children over the entire course of their childbearing years.
# At the level of [[completed fertility]]: A significant majority of women have two children over the entire course of their childbearing years.


Widespread societal acceptance of the two-child ideal at the level of completed fertility is one way to work towards [[replacement fertility]] (of 2.1). However, it is not the only way: what really matters is that on ''average'', people have two children, and this could be attained by a more spread-out distribution of family sizes (for instance, a number of one-child families and three-child families). However, even if the majority of families have two children, the behavior of the remaining minority could significantly affect overall fertility levels. For instance, if 80% of females have a [[completed fertility]] of 2, but the remaining females have ''no'' children, completed fertility is 1.6, well below replacement. If, on the other hand, the remaining females average 3 children, fertility is at 2.2, slightly above fertility.
Widespread societal acceptance of the two-child ideal at the level of completed fertility is one way to work towards [[replacement fertility]] (of 2.1). However, it is not the only way: what really matters is that on ''average'', people have two children, and this could be attained by a more spread-out distribution of family sizes (for instance, a number of one-child families and three-child families). However, even if the majority of families have two children, the behavior of the remaining minority could significantly affect overall fertility levels. For instance, if 80% of females have a [[completed fertility]] of 2, but the remaining females have ''no'' children, completed fertility is 1.6, well below replacement. If, on the other hand, the remaining females average 3 children, fertility is at 2.2, slightly above fertility.
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18853638 This paper] uses the acronym '''APA''' to view (1), (2), and (3) above as three stages of societies embracing the two-child ideal.
# '''Acceptance of the ideal (A)''': Ideal fertility reaches the two-child ideal.
# '''Preference for the ideal (P)''': Desired fertility reaches the two-child ideal.
# '''Achievement of that preference (A)''': Expected fertility and completed fertility reach the two-child ideal.

Latest revision as of 03:10, 15 February 2014

Definition

The two-child ideal refers to a situation where a family with two children is widely viewed as ideal. This ideal, though historically recent, has acquired widespread acceptance in the last 50 years around the world.

The two-child ideal could be manifested in these forms:

  1. At the level of ideal fertility: For questions about ideal fertility (questions of the form "How many children should there be in an ideal family?"), a significant majority of people give the answer 2.
  2. At the level of desired fertility: For questions about desired fertility (questions of the form "How many children would you like in your family?"), a significant majority of people give the answer 2.
  3. At the level of completed fertility: A significant majority of women have two children over the entire course of their childbearing years.

Widespread societal acceptance of the two-child ideal at the level of completed fertility is one way to work towards replacement fertility (of 2.1). However, it is not the only way: what really matters is that on average, people have two children, and this could be attained by a more spread-out distribution of family sizes (for instance, a number of one-child families and three-child families). However, even if the majority of families have two children, the behavior of the remaining minority could significantly affect overall fertility levels. For instance, if 80% of females have a completed fertility of 2, but the remaining females have no children, completed fertility is 1.6, well below replacement. If, on the other hand, the remaining females average 3 children, fertility is at 2.2, slightly above fertility.

This paper uses the acronym APA to view (1), (2), and (3) above as three stages of societies embracing the two-child ideal.

  1. Acceptance of the ideal (A): Ideal fertility reaches the two-child ideal.
  2. Preference for the ideal (P): Desired fertility reaches the two-child ideal.
  3. Achievement of that preference (A): Expected fertility and completed fertility reach the two-child ideal.
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