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Reproductive Decision-Making in a Macro-Micro Perspective pp 1–15Cite as

Reproductive Decision-Making in a Macro-Micro Perspective: A Conceptual Framework

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Abstract

This chapter lays the theoretical and methodological foundation for the book, Reproductive decision-making in a macro-micro perspective. It introduces the issues addressed in the book and the European Commission Seventh Framework funded collaborative research project, REPRO, on which it is based. A brief overview of the recent trend toward low fertility in Europe and the gap between desired and achieved family size at national levels (known as the fertility gap) is provided. The theoretical argument which follows is that, to understand macro-level trends in fertility, a thorough knowledge of micro-processes and how the macro- and micro-levels are interrelated, is necessary. A model of relationships between macro- and micro-levels is presented before a brief discussion of macro-level modelling which, in addition to its benefits, is at risk of errors arising from compositional effects and the ecological fallacy. The social psychological Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the framework adapted for micro-level modelling in this book, is presented here in a form specific to reproductive decision making. The chapter also includes discussion of issues associated with satisfactory integration of macro- and micro-level information, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of comparative micro-studies and multi-level modelling.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Throughout this book, we retain the original US spelling of behavior in the name of the Theory of Planned Behavior, but use the English language spelling of behaviour elsewhere.

  2. 2.

    The TPB is an extension of the theory of reasoned action which will not be discussed here. See Fishbein and Ajzen (2010) for more information.

  3. 3.

    This description draws heavily on Philipov et al. (2009).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Aart C. Liefbroer

  2. University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Aart C. Liefbroer

  3. VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Aart C. Liefbroer

  4. Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics, Centre for Arts, Science and Knowledge, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy

    Jane E. Klobas

  5. Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Jane E. Klobas

  6. Vienna Institute of Demography, Vienna, Austria

    Dimiter Philipov

  7. Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (OEAW-VID, IIASA, WU), Vienna, Austria

    Dimiter Philipov

  8. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    Icek Ajzen

Authors
  1. Aart C. Liefbroer
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  2. Jane E. Klobas
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  3. Dimiter Philipov
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  4. Icek Ajzen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aart C. Liefbroer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wittgenstein Ctr for Demography and Human Capital, Vienna Institute of Demography, Vienna, Austria

    Dimiter Philipov

  2. Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Aart C. Liefbroer

  3. Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics, Centre for Arts, Science and Knowledge, University Bocconi, Milan, Italy

    Jane E. Klobas

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Liefbroer, A.C., Klobas, J.E., Philipov, D., Ajzen, I. (2015). Reproductive Decision-Making in a Macro-Micro Perspective: A Conceptual Framework. In: Philipov, D., Liefbroer, A., Klobas, J. (eds) Reproductive Decision-Making in a Macro-Micro Perspective. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9401-5_1

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