Conceived in Sin
Out-of-Wedlock Fertility and Bridal Pregnancies in the Antwerp District, Belgium, c. 1820-1920
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12840329 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sophie Vries (Radboud University Nijmegen, corresponding author), Paul Puschmann (0009-0003-6851-0728, Radboud University Nijmegen, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2023-09-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | TSEG/ Low Countries Journal of Social and Economic History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1572-1701 • E-ISSN: 2468-9068 |
| Publisher | TSEG - The Low Countries Journal of Social and Economic History (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.52024/tseg.11453 |
| OpenAlex | W4386626104 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 2 |
This article explores the causes of the rise in extra-marital fertility in the Antwerp district between 1820 and 1920. The Antwerp COR*-database is used to compare the reproductive life courses and characteristics of unmarried mothers, women who experienced bridal pregnancies, as well as women who conceived exclusively within marriage. The authors conclude that illegitimacy was mainly a phenomenon among young urban working class women, and that it was predominantly a consequence of vulnerability. The rise of illegitimacy should be viewed against Antwerp’s transition from a regional textile centre into a major port city, which increased migration and negatively influenced women’s employment opportunities. The effects of illegitimacy were not as disastrous as the literature suggests, however, given the fact that a high percentage of the affected women eventually married
Demographic economics · Economics · Fertility · Geography · Phenomenon · Population · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Vulnerability (computing · Demography · Gender Studies · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |