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KAS Conference in BerlinAre Large Families Not (Yet) a Model for the Future?
Large families still have a bad image. This was emphasised by BiB Director Prof. Norbert F. Schneider and CDU Chairwoman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer at a conference of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) and the BiB on 29 January 2020 in Berlin. According to Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer, the consequence is to show a clearer appreciation of each family, no matter how it is made up or how many children it will have, and to implement this in concrete policy.
Source: KAS/Juliane Liebers
A crucial role is played above all by the right framework conditions for families, which made a free decision possible in the first place, said Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer at the conference Three Children and More - Families from the Middle of Society in Berlin. Prof. Dr. Norbert F. Schneider, Director of the BiB, referred to the fact that large families have so far rarely been the focus of family policy and research. However, a current BiB study on the situation of large families, the results of which were used as a basis for the conference, shows the high demographic relevance of the shrinking number of large families.
People with Many Children Come from the Middle of Society
The findings illustrated that having many children differs greatly in terms of education and migration background. “This is increasingly a phenomenon of the better educated middle class,” said the sociologist. By means of a comparison of the proportion of women with many children between the female cohorts 1933-1937 and 1965-1969, he showed that in the latter there was a decrease in the number of women with many children and low education and a significant increase in women with middle and higher education. Moreover, many women with a migration background tend to have many children whereas the origin is a decisive factor. Nevertheless, there are adjustment effects in the second generation of migrants that is adapting to the fertility behaviour of the majority society in Germany.
There Is No Stereotype of a Large Family
In general, large families are mainly characterised by their great diversity: “There are very different types of large families,” the sociologist analysed. For example, two thirds live together with their biological children. Another type develops in the life course after a separation, divorce or widowhood.
Why Are the Numbers of Large Families Decreasing?
There are many reasons for the decline in large families. The decisive factors include the overall increase in the age at which families are being formed, and a poor image of large families in society. “There is a high normative pressure of expectations on parents and, especially in the middle class, there are difficulties in reconciling family and professional life,” explains Prof. Schneider. Politically, however, everything possible must be undertaken to eliminate, above all, distorted images of large families in the society, because: “Having many children is not a problem per se.”
Subsequently, representatives from politics, science, public administration and associations discussed how the framework conditions for large families could be strengthened. In addition to the increase of financial support, the debate also highlighted the question of the parents’ autonomy to decide on a preferred life model. Furthermore, the main issue must be to reduce the stigmatisation of large families.