Couples in context: Understanding family dynamics in Norway

Abstract

This thesis studies how fertility, couple specialization and union stability in Norway are interrelated and linked to wider social structures such as family policy, gender roles and neighborhoods. It consists of an introduction and five independent articles: One based on a systematic review of international studies on effects of policy measures on fertility and four based on empirical analyses of Norwegian register data using descriptive and quasi-experimental techniques. With declining birth rates since 2009, fertility has received political attention in Norway. The literature review shows that the generous Norwegian family policies may have helped to elevate fertility levels. Yet, empirical analyses from this thesis show that children still entail income losses for women, and increasingly for young men too. Furthermore, the finding that couples break up more frequently if the woman earns more than the man shows that gender roles continue to be important in Norway in influencing family behavior. Empirical analyses also point to housing and family-friendly infrastructure as key factors for families, as couples with many children select into the same types of neighborhoods.