A study examines the relationship between gender roles and the desire to have children in Scandinavia
New research from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and Radboud Universiteit demonstrates how attitudes towards gender roles shape family planning decisions. They conclude that low fertility rates in egalitarian societies reflect more than just practical barriers to parenthood, but may signal a fundamental shift in social values and life priorities.
Lead researchers Nicole Hiekel from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and Katia Begall from the Radboud Universiteit examined how gender role attitudes influence family planning decisions. The researchers analyzed survey data collected between 2020 and 2022 from the Generations and Gender Program for Denmark, Finland and Norway. "We specifically chose Scandinavian countries because they have a relatively high level of gender equality alongside a low fertility rate," explains Nicole Hiekel, head of the Research Group Gender Inequalities and Fertility at the MPIDR.
"Gender role attitudes reflect beliefs about how men and women should behave in the public sphere, such as politics and work, and in the private sphere, such as family and partnership," Katia Begall says. The researchers identify three distinct mindsets among participants:
- a majority of people holding egalitarian gender role beliefs, considering men and women equally capable in both professional and domestic spheres,
- a small minority holding non-egalitarian gender role beliefs, associating men with public roles and women with family care, and
- an ambivalent group who favor gender equality in public roles but still attribute more competence and interest to women in family roles.
This significant finding - that 20% of respondents fall into this final category challenges the common assumption that attitudes towards gender roles are always clear-cut.
Katia Begall highlights a crucial discovery: "Gender role beliefs influence women's and men's intentions to become parents. The large group of people with egalitarian beliefs, i.e. those who assign public and private roles equally to men and women, tend to place less emphasis on parenthood as a life goal," she explains. "This shift in priorities directly influences their family planning decisions."
In contrast to women and men who do not believe in gender equality, those with egalitarian mindsets place a higher importance on perceived fairness regarding the division of housework with their partner, that in turn is linked to a greater desire to have children. This suggests that for egalitarians, consistency between desired and actual equal division of roles is an important condition for starting a family.
The research highlights how different dimensions of gender equality influence family planning across the Nordic society. While these countries show strong support for gender equality in the professional and political spheres, attitudes towards men's and women's family roles vary considerably. Those most eager to have children - typically those with more non-egalitarian attitudes towards gender roles - represent a minority of the population, which limits the impact of their fertility behavior on overall birth rates.
These findings challenge traditional assumptions about declining birth rates in relatively egalitarian societies such as Scandinavia. Instead of being solely due to structural barriers to parenthood, the trend appears deeply connected to evolving social values and personal priorities. "While policies can have a positive impact on the perceived feasibility of combining family and work, their success should not be measured in terms of increasing fertility rates, but rather in terms of improving the health and well-being of existing children and those who care for them," concludes Nicole Hiekel.
