Women's Role Orientations and Expected Fertility: Evidence from the Detroit Area, 1978

The paper investigates whether there is empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that women's attitudes toward traditionally female family roles affect their expected fertility net of the much-discussed link between women's employment and fertility. Along with several sociodemographic variables, the study uses a nonwork related attitude variable comprised of a motherhood role attitude measure and a housekeeping attitude measure. The study uses a probability sample of white, fecund, once-married women under 35 living with their husbands in the Detroit Metropolitan Area in 1978. Findings suggest that nonwork related attitudes have a significant effect on fertility expectations net of labor force participation. They also suggest that general fertility surveys could benefit from including questions on nonwork related role orientations.