Changes in parental thinking regarding the number of children in the transition period (1998-2009)

Theoretical background in our work is systemic approach (connection between processes of change in macro systemic/state and micro systemic/individual sphere of functioning), in particular the model developed by Stewart & Healy (1989), emphasizing the importance of linking the stage of individual development and social history. Based on these theoretical frames we conducted two isomorphous studies, implemented on two occasions (in 1998 and 2009) which marked two different transition stages in Serbia. Studies focused on the ways the parents (who already had at least one child under age 7) thought about family enlargement. The parents (N = 80 in the first study, N = 24 in the second one) belonged to the same generation (exposed to same socio-historical events), but became parents at different stages of the transition. Both studies used the same questionnaire (created for the first study) which included information such as: subjects' general data; family background (number of siblings, relationships between the siblings); personal/intimate aspects of actual parenthood; plans, wishes and obstacles to having more children. The results indicated that that the group of subjects who became parents at the end of the social crisis - postponed parenthood (avoiding the worst crisis) - had more children than the other one (1.71 compared to 1.65), and was more consistent in repeating the model of their own family of origin, and had a smaller gap between fertility wishes and planning of future parenting. .