Bevaikystė Lietuvoje: tendencijos, normos ir regioninė diferenciacija

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Collection:
Mokslo publikacijos / Scientific publications
Document Type:
Straipsnis / Article
Language:
Lietuvių kalba / Lithuanian
Title:
Bevaikystė Lietuvoje: tendencijos, normos ir regioninė diferenciacija
Alternative Title:
Childlessness in Lithuania: trends, norms and spatial differentiation
Authors:
In the Journal:
Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika [STEPP]. 2019, Nr. 18, p. 96-111
Subject Category:
LT
Vilnius. Vilniaus kraštas (Vilnius region); Lietuva (Lithuania); Gyventojai / Population; Regionai ir regioninė politika / Regions and regional policy; Statistika / Statistics; Vaikai / Children.
Summary / Abstract:

LTPaskutiniais dešimtmečiais daugelyje Europos šalių didėja bevaikių moterų skaičius. Lietuvoje, skirtingai nuo kitų Europos šalių, bevaikių moterų skaičius išlieka žemas. Šio straipsnio tikslas – išanalizuoti moterų baigtinės bevaikystės tendencijas, atskleisti moterų, gimusių 1920–1969 m., socialines ir demografines charakteristikas bei bevaikystės teritorinės diferenciacijos ypatumus. Analizei yra naudojami Europos socialinio tyrimo (2008) ir Lietuvos gyventojų surašymo (2011) duomenys. Analizės rezultatai parodė, kad nors ES šalių kontekste bevaikių moterų skaičius Lietuvoje vertinamas kaip nedidelis, tačiau paskutinių dešimtmečių duomenys rodo gana spartų bevaikių moterų dalies didėjimą. Kultūrinių nuostatų analizė atskleidė, kad Lietuvoje vyrauja gana prieštaringos nuostatos dėl bevaikystės. Socialinių ir demografinių charakteristikų analizė atskleidė, kad ryškiausi skirtumai tarp gimdžiusių ir niekada vaikų nesusilaukusių moterų yra pagal santuokinį statusą ir išsilavinimą. Erdvinė baigtinės bevaikystės analizė parodė, kad šis demografinis procesas Lietuvoje pasižymi gana didelė teritorine diferenciacija, kuri suintensyvėjo nuo 1940–1949-ųjų kartos. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Bevaikystė; Europos socialinis tyrimas; Lietuvos gyventojų surašymas; Regioninė diferenciacija; Socialinė grupė; Socialinė problema; Childlessnes; Childlessness; European social research; Lithuania; Lithuanian populiation census; Social group; Social problem; Spacial differentiation.

ENDuring the last decades, the share of childless women has been on the rise in the majority of European countries. Consequently, the phenomenon of childlessness has been receiving more attention in the scientific discourse. Usually, it is investigated as one of the manifestations of family transformation occurring in modern societies that is related to changing family models and gender roles. Even though, when compared to other European countries, the share of childless women in Lithuania remains low, it has recently increased both in terms of permanent (among women above reproductive age) and temporary (among women of reproductive age) childlessness. However, so far this subject has been underresearched. In this paper, we aim to examine the trends in women’s permanent childlessness, reveal the sociodemographic characteristics of childless women born in 1920–1969 and explore the spatial differentiation of childlessness in Lithuania. The empirical basis of our analysis consists of a couple of secondary data sources: the third wave of the European Values Study (2008), the Lithuanian Population Census (2011). An analysis of cultural norms regarding childlessness has revealed an ambivalence in attitudes. On the one hand, respondents have expressed support for individualistic attitudes, stating that an individual has the right to decide whether to have a child or not. On the other hand, there was substantial support for the familialistic norm that children give meaning to life, especially for women. In terms of the sociodemographic characteristics, the biggest differences between childless women and mothers occur in relation to marital status and education. Throughout all generations, a significantly higher proportion of childless women in comparison to mothers remain unmarried.Since marriage was the primary pathway to family formation in earlier times, it is plausible that the majority of women in older cohorts have become childless due to certain circumstances – failure to find a (suitable) partner. On the other hand, younger generations have been influenced by the family transformation, which in Lithuania started around 1990 and brought changes in family formation and procreative behavior. Therefore, it is likely that voluntary childlessness is more common among childless women in younger generations. A spatial analysis of childlessness has revealed that this demographic process in Lithuania has a high degree of regional differentiation, especially from the 1940–1949 cohort and onwards. With the exception of the oldest cohort, throughout all generations, the highest share of childless women – higher than 10 percent – is observed in Vilnius and other major city municipalities. Additionally, we observe higher degrees of childlessness in certain areas of north and northeast Lithuania. The majority of the municipalities in this region have the status of “sparsely populated territories” and are considered “problematic” in terms of other demographic, social and economic indicators in the scientific discourse of human geography in Lithuania. The results of the analysis of the spatial differentiation of childlessness might be useful for forecasting the development trends of childlessness in the future across the different regions of the country. However, more in-depth research is needed in order to identify the specific factors affecting the regional differentiation of childlessness in Lithuania. [From the publication]

DOI:
10.15388/STEPP.2019.6
ISSN:
1648-2425; 2345-0266
Subject:
Sociologija / Sociology
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https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/79191
Updated:
2020-04-18 07:35:01
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