COMPARING DESIRED FERTILITY AND PERCEPTIONS OF MOTHERHOOD IN GERMANY AND FRANCE

There are marked differences between France and Germany in terms of fertility levels, which may be traced back to differences in family policy frameworks and to a diversity of normative expectations as to the role of women and mothers. The influence on desired fertility in both countries exerted by these structural and cultural differences is examined using data from the German and French Generations and Gender Surveys (GGS) of 2005, with western and eastern Germany analysed separately. The results show that attitudinal differences between western Germany and France are less pronounced than those between western and eastern Germany. When it comes to childless persons, cultural factors exert a significant influence on desired fertility. Affirma-tion of the traditional housewife role has a positive effect on desired fertility in both countries, while there are indications that a negative attitude towards working mothers has a negative effect in western Germany. Structural factors such as labour force participation of both partners also exert a negative influence on desired fertility among western German mothers, but only when their children are young.