Introduction to the Genus thematic series
The Inequality of uncertainty
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24224864 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chiara Ludovica Comolli (0000-0002-0590-9761), Marco Albertini (0000-0003-0344-3002) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 82 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-07 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Genus (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0016-6987 • E-ISSN: 2035-5556 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1186/s41118-026-00290-7 |
| OpenAlex | W7160558797 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 57 |
Research on fertility dynamics in high-income countries has traditionally emphasized economic, especially individual-level, determinants of childbearing decisions, particularly in times of crisis. This focus, however, risks overlooking the broader social dimensions of uncertainty that shape family behaviors. This article introduces the Thematic Series The Inequality of Uncertainty , which examines how a decade of overlapping crises – including the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic – has transformed fertility dynamics through unequal exposures to both old and emerging forms of uncertainty. Beyond economic constraints, crises disrupt social structures by weakening social networks, civic engagement, and generalized trust, key collective resources for coping with social uncertainty , namely the unpredictability of social practices, social relations, reciprocal and/or altruistic behaviors, and morality in a community. Here, uncertainty is conceptualized as a multidimensional phenomenon, encompassing economic, social, political, psychological, and environmental domains. It is also seen as a multilevel phenomenon: uncertainty is individually perceived but also operates at macro- and meso-levels as a collective condition shaped by social stratification, group belonging, and identity-based expectations. The series addresses three key questions: (i) how newly emerging and comparatively understudied dimensions of uncertainty influence the decisional process of childbearing, (ii) how the multilevel experiences of uncertainty relate to childbearing, and (iii) how uncertainty interacts with preexisting social inequalities in shaping fertility. The five empirical contributions investigate diverse forms of uncertainty – environmental, reproductive, relational, health-related, and labor-market – treating uncertainty both as a driver of fertility behavior and as an outcome of demographic processes. Collectively, the articles highlight the importance of a multidimensional, multilevel, and stratified approach to uncertainty, underscoring the relevance of uncertainty demography for contemporary and future research on fertility dynamics. The findings reported in this Thematic Series not only advance our understanding of fertility decisions – thus touching on the sensitive topic of decreasing fertility rates in advanced economies – but also provide useful indications on the extent to which modelling individuals’ and societies’ perceptions of uncertainty requires going beyond strictly economy-related measures and domains.
COVID-19 pandemic · environmental uncertainty · fertility decline · generalized trust · Great recession · labor market uncertainty · relational uncertainty · reproductive decision-making · Social inequality · Social networks · Social stratification · social uncertainty · Uncertainty · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Reproductive Health and Technologies
Uncertainty and Narratives of the Future
Explaining the justice–performance relationship
The life course cube
The theory of planned behavior
An Epidemic of Uncertainty
The Moral Economy of Class
The impact of narratives of the future on fertility intentions in Norway
Too worried about the environment to have children? Or more worried about the environment after having children
Fertility Behaviour under Income Uncertainty
Social Climate, Uncertainty and Fertility Intentions
Family Life Courses, Uncertain Futures, and the Changing World of Work
Uncertainty and Fertility in Ukraine on the Eve of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion
Narratives of the Future Affect Fertility
Second Birth Fertility in Germany
The Discovery of Grounded Uncertainty
Employment Instability and Fertility in Europe
The Enduring Case for Fertility Desires
Putting people into place
Job Displacement and First Birth Over the Business Cycle
Spacing, Stopping, or Postponing? Fertility Desires in a Sub-Saharan Setting
The second demographic transition, 1986–2020
Uncertainty, resilience, and fertility
A reflection on economic uncertainty and fertility in Europe
Economic Uncertainty and Family Dynamics in Europe
The fertility response to the Great Recession in Europe and the United States
The Help Pattern in the Middle Class Family
The Gender Revolution
Social class and fertility
A Transaction Cost Approach to Outsourcing by Households
Re-theorizing Family Demographics
Uncertainty and Fertility in a Generalized Aids Epidemic
Employment uncertainty and fertility intentions
Economic Recession and Fertility in the Developed World
Reassessing the Insurance Effect
Climate change and fertility desires
Couples' paid work, state-level unemployment, and first births in the United States
A life-course approach to fertility
Her class and his class
Climate change worries and fertility intentions
The Great Recession, Fertility, and Uncertainty
Uncertainties in Female Employment Careers and the Postponement of Parenthood in Germany
Spreading Uncertainty, Shrinking Birth Rates
Social Class and Parental Values
Social Class and Stratification in Late Modernity
| Highly cited | No |
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