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Title: Socioeconomic Characteristics, Fertility Norms and the Black-White Fertility Gap in the US

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2013

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Abstract: In this article, I examine the large Black / White fertility gap in the US. I question the "compositional argument" according to which di fferences in socioeconomic characteristics would be the main driver of this gap. Indeed, once controlled for education, other characteristics such as income, employment and marital status do not help to close the gap. I therefore test whether the di effrence could stem from the fact that individuals inherit of race-speci fc fertility norms. I show that Black women who were born in a state where past cohorts of Black women had a high fertility rate tend to have more children. Moreover I have found that this eff ect diminishes as education increases. The transmission of fertility norms therefore seems to be a good candidate to explain racial diff erences in fertility in the US, as it is consistent with larger di fferences for less educated individuals.

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Authors: Chab-Ferret, Bastien

Publisher: Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Education, Fertility and Mortality

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