The impact of marriage on fertility intentions and related values

Entry into and occupancy of major adult roles are of longstanding theoretical interest, but few studies have designs adequate to examine the consequences of associated changes in orientation. This study is based on a longitudinal project in which changes in fertility intentions and the importance of marriage and the family are examined among four subgroups--females who remained single, females who married, males who remained single, and males who married over a five-year period. Females, regardless of marital status, became less inclined to have children, males remaining single became more inclined and males who married over the interval changed little. When a control for value of marriage and the family was introduced, gender-based differences in fertility desires disappeared. There were substantial changes in the value domain according to sex and marital status--those who married over the five-year period displayed significant increases in the importance of the value of marriage and family. The implications of these findings are discussed.