Economic Barriers, Uncertainty, or the Gender Revolution? Factors Shaping Young Stem Professionals Perspectives on Parenthood

Sharon Sassler , Cornell University
Anna Church, Cornell University

Transitions into parenthood have become increasingly protracted in developed societies. While theories of fertility delay have long relied on economic explanations, a growing body of literature has emphasized the role of persistent uncertainty resulting from globalization and concerns over climate change, while other scholars focus on the stalled gender revolution as a means of understanding declining fertility. In this paper, we explore fertility views of a sample of college-educated STEM professionals (n = 70) using longitudinal, in-depth qualitative interviews. We ask whether intentions to have children change over time or vary as respondents transition from college to the work force and face the myriad challenges of transitioning to adulthood. We then interrogate whether economic factors, uncertainty, or gendered expectations influence fertility goals, how these intersect, and what differentiates the goals of educated men and women with above-average earnings prospects. Our preliminary results reveal that about a third of our respondents did not intend to become parents or were vacillating about becoming parents in the future. Parenting intentions shifted over time; while certainty regarding parenthood grew for some respondents, the more common experience was to become more ambivalent about children across the years. Both men and women believe it is challenging to juggle work and parenthood. The costs of parenthood dominated as a concern relating to fertility, with gender equity emerging as a second explanatory justification, and uncertainty emerging as a distant third. Results are interpreted in light of recent discussions of disparities between desired and realized fertility.

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 Presented in Session P3. Families, Fertility, and the Life Course 3