Decisions to Have Children in Late 20th and Early 21st Century Australia [electronic resource] : A Qualitative Analysis / by Gordon Carmichael.

Abstract -- Introduction -- Explicit and Implicit Decision-making -- Context–Delayed Childbearing -- The Qualitative Data.-  Contemplating Families -- Early thought about having children -- Discussion of children during courtship -- Determining Family Size -- How meaningful are early ‘expected’ family sizes?.-The process -- The First Child.-The ‘Obligatory’ Second Child -- The Discretionary Third Child -- Fourth Children–Negative Reactions, Practical Issues -- Discussion -- Acknowledgements -- References .

This book explores the process of decision-making around having children in a sample of 115 men, women and couples for whom family formation was a recent past, current or imminent future issue. The discussion is initially focused on the extent to which parenthood was contemplated in late adolescence and during the relationship formation/courtship process, and the process by which family sizes are determined. Decision-making associated with having first, second, third and fourth children is then examined in chapters entitled The First Child; The ‘Obligatory’ Second Child; The Discretionary Third Child and Fourth Children – Negative Reactions, Practical Issues. Decisions to Have Children in Late 20th and Early 21st Century Australia offers a detailed coverage of a topic with resonances and implications that apply to contemporary cultures all around the world.