Nicoletta Balbo
Biographic Data
| ID | 304134 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nicoletta Balbo |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nicoletta |
| FAMILY NAME | Balbo |
| SIGNATURE | BALBO N |
| AFFILIATIONS | Bocconi University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1949-1933 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 116 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Introduction to the Special Issue: Beyond the child: disability, family life and inequality
This introduction frames child disability as a relational and socially embedded phenomenon whose consequences extend beyond children to parents, siblings, kin networks and household trajectories. Bringing together evidence from several European societies, the special issue moves beyond child-centred approaches to examine how disability reshapes family life through caregiving demands, time use, paid work, economic security, fertility and well-bein…
The parental care burden of child disability
Children with a disability require a greater level of care, which may profoundly affect the lives of their parents as their primary caregivers. However, empirical evidence to quantify the parental care burden of child disability remains scarce. This study aims to uncover the extent to which a child’s disability affects the parental care burden by investigating fathers’ and mothers’ time spent on housework and childcare. Exploiting data from the G…
Abortion Ban and the Next Generation’s Family Formation Decisions: Evidence from Romania
This study examines how the introduction of an abortion ban can shape the next generation’s family formation trajectories, and whether the influence of the ban varies by gender and parental socioeconomic status (SES). Focusing on Romania’s abortion ban period under the Ceaușescu regime, we investigate changes in the probability of being married, the age at leaving the parental home and at first marriage, and spousal age characteristics. Using two…
The Double Challenges of Single Parents Raising Children with Disabilities
This paper sheds light on the health-related, economic, and social well-being of single parents of children with disabilities, a population often overlooked in research. Much literature examines single parenthood and child disability independently and generally finds negative consequences of experiencing either. Yet, little is known about the well-being of parents at the intersections of single parenthood and raising a child with a disability. Dr…
Societal Pessimism and the Transition to Parenthood: A Future Too Bleak to Have Children
Contemporary adults often cite economic uncertainty, global warming, and increasing inequality as reasons for intending not to have children. Despite extensive research on the impact of societal pessimism on attitudes towards out-group members, political preferences, and voting behaviors, its impact on demographic behaviors, such as fertility, has received little attention. This study examines the relationship between societal pessimism-captured …
Heterogeneity in parental time with children: Trends by Gender and Education Between 1961 and 2012 Across 20 Countries
This article investigates the level and dynamics of heterogeneity in parental childcare time using data from the Multinational Time Use Study across 20 countries over five decades. Applying the Gini coefficient as the main summary measure of the dispersion in the distribution at the country level, we show that heterogeneity in paternal time has been higher than that in maternal time throughout the last half-century. The gap has narrowed over the …
Repartnering of women in the United States: The interplay between motherhood and socio-economic status
We examine the socio-economic differentials in mothers’ and non-mothers’ repartnering behaviours following the dissolution of a co-residential (marital or cohabiting) union. Based on five waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 11,479), we use discrete-time event history models, jointly modelling exit from a partnership and entry into a new union. Few differences are found for entry into direct marriage, which is a rarely observed even…
Fertility Drain or Fertility Gain? Emigration and Fertility During the Great Recession in Italy
How does emigration affect fertility in the country of origin? We address this question by estimating counterfactual fertility during the Great Recession in order to understand what the effect of the recession on fertility would be in the absence of emigration. Between 2009 and 2014, Southern European countries suffered from harsh economic instability, which triggered a sharp drop in fertility and a spike in emigration. We focus on Italy, exploit…
Trends in the use of mind-altering drugs among European adolescents during the Great Recession
Cementing the Stepfamily? Biological and Stepparents' Relationship Satisfaction After the Birth of a Common Child in Stepfamilies
This article studies the relationship between having a common child in stepfamilies and partners' relationship satisfaction. Previous works have primarily looked at children's adjustment in stepfamilies and have cautioned against seeing a common offspring as a way to 'cement' the partnership because the addition of a shared child does not benefit the child from an earlier union. We used seven waves of the German 'Panel Analysis of Intimate Relati…
It Takes Two to Tango: Couples’ Happiness and Childbearing
The Role of Family Orientations in Shaping the Effect of Fertility on Subjective Well-being: A Propensity Score Matching Approach
This article investigates whether and how having a child impacts an individual's subjective well-being, while taking into account heterogeneity in family attitudes. People with different family orientations have different values, gender attitudes, preferences toward career and family, and expectations about how childbearing can affect their subjective well-being. These differences impact fertility decisions and the effect of parenthood on an indi…
Fertility Theory
The impact of humanitarian context conditions and individual characteristics on aid worker retention
High employee turnover rates constitute a major challenge to effective aid provision. This study examines how features of humanitarian work and aid workers' individual characteristics affect retention within one humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland. The study extends existing research by providing new theoretical explanations of employment opportunities and constraints and by engaging in the first large-scale quantita…
Does Fertility Behavior Spread among Friends
By integrating insights from economic and sociological theories, this article investigates whether and through which mechanisms friends' fertility behavior affects an individual's transition to parenthood. By exploiting the survey design of the Add Health data, our strategy allows us to properly identify interaction effects and distinguish them from selection and contextual effects. We use a series of discrete-time event history models with rando…
Fertility in Advanced Societies: A Review of Research
This paper provides a review of fertility research in advanced societies, societies in which birth control is the default option. The central aim is to provide a comprehensive review that summarizes how contemporary research has explained ongoing and expected fertility changes across time and space (i.e., cross- and within-country heterogeneity). A secondary aim is to provide an analytical synthesis of the core determinants of fertility, grouping…
The effects of social capital and social pressure on the intention to have a second or third child in France, Germany, and Bulgaria, 2004-05
This study investigates the importance of the effect of an individual's web of informal relationships with family and peers on the intention to have a second or third child. Drawing on sociological theories of social capital (help with childcare, emotional support) and social pressure, the study extends existing research by evaluating cross-national differences (between France, Germany, and Bulgaria) in the impact of personal network and institut…
Does Fertility Behavior Spread among Friends
By integrating insights from economic and sociological theories, this article investigates whether and through which mechanisms friends' fertility behavior affects an individual's transition to parenthood. By exploiting the survey design of the Add Health data, our strategy allows us to properly identify interaction effects and distinguish them from selection and contextual effects. We use a series of discrete-time event history models with rando…
The effects of social capital and social pressure on the intention to have a second or third child in France, Germany, and Bulgaria, 2004-05
This study investigates the importance of the effect of an individual's web of informal relationships with family and peers on the intention to have a second or third child. Drawing on sociological theories of social capital (help with childcare, emotional support) and social pressure, the study extends existing research by evaluating cross-national differences (between France, Germany, and Bulgaria) in the impact of personal network and institut…
The Role of Family Orientations in Shaping the Effect of Fertility on Subjective Well-being: A Propensity Score Matching Approach
This article investigates whether and how having a child impacts an individual's subjective well-being, while taking into account heterogeneity in family attitudes. People with different family orientations have different values, gender attitudes, preferences toward career and family, and expectations about how childbearing can affect their subjective well-being. These differences impact fertility decisions and the effect of parenthood on an indi…
Societal Pessimism and the Transition to Parenthood: A Future Too Bleak to Have Children
Contemporary adults often cite economic uncertainty, global warming, and increasing inequality as reasons for intending not to have children. Despite extensive research on the impact of societal pessimism on attitudes towards out-group members, political preferences, and voting behaviors, its impact on demographic behaviors, such as fertility, has received little attention. This study examines the relationship between societal pessimism-captured …
It Takes Two to Tango: Couples’ Happiness and Childbearing
The impact of humanitarian context conditions and individual characteristics on aid worker retention
High employee turnover rates constitute a major challenge to effective aid provision. This study examines how features of humanitarian work and aid workers' individual characteristics affect retention within one humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland. The study extends existing research by providing new theoretical explanations of employment opportunities and constraints and by engaging in the first large-scale quantita…
Repartnering of women in the United States: The interplay between motherhood and socio-economic status
We examine the socio-economic differentials in mothers’ and non-mothers’ repartnering behaviours following the dissolution of a co-residential (marital or cohabiting) union. Based on five waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 11,479), we use discrete-time event history models, jointly modelling exit from a partnership and entry into a new union. Few differences are found for entry into direct marriage, which is a rarely observed even…
Cementing the Stepfamily? Biological and Stepparents' Relationship Satisfaction After the Birth of a Common Child in Stepfamilies
This article studies the relationship between having a common child in stepfamilies and partners' relationship satisfaction. Previous works have primarily looked at children's adjustment in stepfamilies and have cautioned against seeing a common offspring as a way to 'cement' the partnership because the addition of a shared child does not benefit the child from an earlier union. We used seven waves of the German 'Panel Analysis of Intimate Relati…
The effects of social capital and social pressure on the intention to have a second or third child in France, Germany, and Bulgaria, 2004-05
This study investigates the importance of the effect of an individual's web of informal relationships with family and peers on the intention to have a second or third child. Drawing on sociological theories of social capital (help with childcare, emotional support) and social pressure, the study extends existing research by evaluating cross-national differences (between France, Germany, and Bulgaria) in the impact of personal network and institut…
Fertility in Advanced Societies: A Review of Research
This paper provides a review of fertility research in advanced societies, societies in which birth control is the default option. The central aim is to provide a comprehensive review that summarizes how contemporary research has explained ongoing and expected fertility changes across time and space (i.e., cross- and within-country heterogeneity). A secondary aim is to provide an analytical synthesis of the core determinants of fertility, grouping…
Does Fertility Behavior Spread among Friends
By integrating insights from economic and sociological theories, this article investigates whether and through which mechanisms friends' fertility behavior affects an individual's transition to parenthood. By exploiting the survey design of the Add Health data, our strategy allows us to properly identify interaction effects and distinguish them from selection and contextual effects. We use a series of discrete-time event history models with rando…
Fertility Theory
The impact of humanitarian context conditions and individual characteristics on aid worker retention
High employee turnover rates constitute a major challenge to effective aid provision. This study examines how features of humanitarian work and aid workers' individual characteristics affect retention within one humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland. The study extends existing research by providing new theoretical explanations of employment opportunities and constraints and by engaging in the first large-scale quantita…
It Takes Two to Tango: Couples’ Happiness and Childbearing
The Role of Family Orientations in Shaping the Effect of Fertility on Subjective Well-being: A Propensity Score Matching Approach
This article investigates whether and how having a child impacts an individual's subjective well-being, while taking into account heterogeneity in family attitudes. People with different family orientations have different values, gender attitudes, preferences toward career and family, and expectations about how childbearing can affect their subjective well-being. These differences impact fertility decisions and the effect of parenthood on an indi…
Cementing the Stepfamily? Biological and Stepparents' Relationship Satisfaction After the Birth of a Common Child in Stepfamilies
This article studies the relationship between having a common child in stepfamilies and partners' relationship satisfaction. Previous works have primarily looked at children's adjustment in stepfamilies and have cautioned against seeing a common offspring as a way to 'cement' the partnership because the addition of a shared child does not benefit the child from an earlier union. We used seven waves of the German 'Panel Analysis of Intimate Relati…
Trends in the use of mind-altering drugs among European adolescents during the Great Recession
Fertility Drain or Fertility Gain? Emigration and Fertility During the Great Recession in Italy
How does emigration affect fertility in the country of origin? We address this question by estimating counterfactual fertility during the Great Recession in order to understand what the effect of the recession on fertility would be in the absence of emigration. Between 2009 and 2014, Southern European countries suffered from harsh economic instability, which triggered a sharp drop in fertility and a spike in emigration. We focus on Italy, exploit…
Repartnering of women in the United States: The interplay between motherhood and socio-economic status
We examine the socio-economic differentials in mothers’ and non-mothers’ repartnering behaviours following the dissolution of a co-residential (marital or cohabiting) union. Based on five waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 11,479), we use discrete-time event history models, jointly modelling exit from a partnership and entry into a new union. Few differences are found for entry into direct marriage, which is a rarely observed even…
Societal Pessimism and the Transition to Parenthood: A Future Too Bleak to Have Children
Contemporary adults often cite economic uncertainty, global warming, and increasing inequality as reasons for intending not to have children. Despite extensive research on the impact of societal pessimism on attitudes towards out-group members, political preferences, and voting behaviors, its impact on demographic behaviors, such as fertility, has received little attention. This study examines the relationship between societal pessimism-captured …
Heterogeneity in parental time with children: Trends by Gender and Education Between 1961 and 2012 Across 20 Countries
This article investigates the level and dynamics of heterogeneity in parental childcare time using data from the Multinational Time Use Study across 20 countries over five decades. Applying the Gini coefficient as the main summary measure of the dispersion in the distribution at the country level, we show that heterogeneity in paternal time has been higher than that in maternal time throughout the last half-century. The gap has narrowed over the …
Introduction to the Special Issue: Beyond the child: disability, family life and inequality
This introduction frames child disability as a relational and socially embedded phenomenon whose consequences extend beyond children to parents, siblings, kin networks and household trajectories. Bringing together evidence from several European societies, the special issue moves beyond child-centred approaches to examine how disability reshapes family life through caregiving demands, time use, paid work, economic security, fertility and well-bein…
The parental care burden of child disability
Children with a disability require a greater level of care, which may profoundly affect the lives of their parents as their primary caregivers. However, empirical evidence to quantify the parental care burden of child disability remains scarce. This study aims to uncover the extent to which a child’s disability affects the parental care burden by investigating fathers’ and mothers’ time spent on housework and childcare. Exploiting data from the G…
Abortion Ban and the Next Generation’s Family Formation Decisions: Evidence from Romania
This study examines how the introduction of an abortion ban can shape the next generation’s family formation trajectories, and whether the influence of the ban varies by gender and parental socioeconomic status (SES). Focusing on Romania’s abortion ban period under the Ceaușescu regime, we investigate changes in the probability of being married, the age at leaving the parental home and at first marriage, and spousal age characteristics. Using two…
The Double Challenges of Single Parents Raising Children with Disabilities
This paper sheds light on the health-related, economic, and social well-being of single parents of children with disabilities, a population often overlooked in research. Much literature examines single parenthood and child disability independently and generally finds negative consequences of experiencing either. Yet, little is known about the well-being of parents at the intersections of single parenthood and raising a child with a disability. Dr…
Economics (12 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Family Dynamics and Relationships (11 works) · Psychology (11 works) · Demographic economics (9 works) · Demography (9 works) · Population (8 works) · Fertility (7 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (7 works) · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences (6 works)