ESTIMATING THE CHANGING COST OF CHILDREN - A CHANGE IN SOCIETY, CRITICISM OF CONCEPTS

In modern society, the family is no longer a basic unit in which its members blend without considering their own short-term personal interests. Individualism has become the rule. Concepts of the cost of children have also undergone a parallel change as part of this development. Initially, when the aim was to fight against poverty and maintain family living standards, research was directed to setting nutritional and budget standards. Subsequent research methods were based on household behaviour which was decreasingly focused on satisfying their basic needs. From 1964, economic models were based on the welfare of parents who make both economic and fertility decisions. The latest research tests the compatibility of the models with observed consumer behaviour. It shows that household consumption does not give any information on welfare in different types of households at a point of time, but gives a full comparison of trends in these welfare levels after setting their value at a point by convention. Researchers are trying to develop a model to determine the individual preferences of the household members and the rules for income sharing. The extension of education and the fact that the great majority of women now work have greatly driven up the cost of children.