Beyond "The Average American Family": U.S. Cohort Parity Distributions and Fertility Concentration

In recent years IIASA's Population Program has made considerable strides in the analysis of heterogeneity in population dynamics. One area of particular application of this perspective has been in the analysis of fertility. Heterogeneity in fertility behavior gives rise to concentration, or dispersion, in the reproductive experiences of women of childbearing age, which in turn has numerous consequences and implications, as spelled out in this paper. King and Lutz focus on twentieth century U.S. women, and pay particular attention to the contrasts between the "baby boom" and "baby bust" cohorts. The authors' approach reveals some new insights into the intercohort comparisons.

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