Exploring the Mechanisms Through Which Social Ties Affect Fertility Decisions in Turkey

Background Although there is extensive evidence that social interactions within different types of social ties affect fertility decisions and behavior both in western and nonwestern settings, there is no available data to evaluate the impact within the Middle Eastern context, leading to difficulty in explaining fully the ways in which interactions in personal networks influence fertility behavior among the region's populations. Aims This study aims to explore the mechanisms through which social ties affect fertility decisions in Turkey. We examine various social mechanisms such as social support, social pressure,social influence and social learning to explore how and why these mechanisms exert influence on women's fertility decision-making processes. Method Using semi-structured interviewing (N = 51),the study draws on mothers' retrospective accounts of the childbearing process and current intentions for higher order births. Results Our findings point to the substantial role played by family networks in women's fertility behavior in Turkey. While family and nonfamily network partners stimulate social pressure and social influence respectively, social support exclusively operates through family members. Also, the majority of social learning occurs within the family. Our findings also show how kin and non-kin network partners operate through these mechanisms and differentially influence specific stages of the fertility process such as the transition to parenthood and parity progression. Conclusion The overarching finding of this study is that the personal networks have effects on fertility decisions in Turkey. Our findings pointed to the role of the social and cultural context of the Middle Eastern setting where childbearing is a substantive issue that matters to extended family and the community. An important contribution of this study is that it is the first of its kind to explore social mechanisms vis-a-vis fertility decision-making in the Middle Eastern context and provides a nonwestern and comparative perspective to the research in this area.