Do Rights for Gays and Lesbians Affect Life Satisfaction of the General Population?

Do Rights for Gays and Lesbians Affect Life Satisfaction of the General Population?

New research shows they do.
In a study published by the Journal of Happiness Studies, Niclas Berggren, Christian Bjørnskov and Therese Nilsson investigated the role played by laws that treat everyone equally, irrespective of sexual orientation, on people’s general life satisfaction. The authors looked at three measures of rights for gays and lesbians: (absence of) persecution (concerning the legality of same-sex relations), recognition (concerning marriage, adoption and age of consent) and protection (concerning inclusion of sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws) in a broad set of countries.
Sex Selection Before Birth

Sex Selection Before Birth

Does male preference persist after migration?
Sex ratio at birth (SRB) indicates the ratio of males to females in a population, which under undisturbed conditions tend to be approximately 104 to 106 males per 100 females born. This indicator has risen in a few Asian countries since the 1980s, and it has remained abnormally higher than expected for almost 30 years. The cases of China (115.9 in 2014), Azerbaijan (115.6 in 2013), Vietnam (112.2 average for 2013/2014), India (110.0 average for 2011/2013) and Albania (109.0 average for 2012/2013) are a few examples.
Once a Barrier to Fertility, Women’s Employment Is Now Key to It.

Once a Barrier to Fertility, Women’s Employment Is Now Key to It.

Just not for everyone.
The question of how work influences women’s fertility has been high on the demographic research agenda for decades. For a long time, the assumption was that higher labour force participation among women was negatively associated with fertility. In recent years, however, more and more researchers argue that this may no longer be true. 

The question of how work influences women’s fertility has been high on the demographic research agenda for decades. For a long time, the assumption was that higher labour force participation among women was negatively associated with fertility. In recent years, however, more and more researchers argue that this may no longer be true. The argument goes that the expansion of reconciliation policies and changing gender roles have decreased the opportunity costs associated with childbearing, which leads to a positive relationship between female employment and fertility in dual-earner societies. Being out of the labour force may be perceived as a cheap time for childbearing, but lacking employment in a dual-earner society can yield feelings of nonfulfillment, prevent leaving the parental home, postpone union formation, and hamper the accumulation of the resources necessary to face the costs of family formation.

News: Same-sex Couples in Europe: More rights in more countries

Same-sex Couples in Europe: More rights in more countries

The trend of legal recognition for gay and lesbian couples is broadening. More and more rights are becoming available to same-sex partners – in more and more European countries. Leiden Law School and French Institute for Demographic Studies publish detailed database and comparative analysis. Growing consensus
How can Parental Disadvantages be Compensated?

How can Parental Disadvantages be Compensated?

By Jani Erola and Elina Kilpi-Jakonen
Drawing conclusions of what promotes intergenerational mobility, thus promoting more equal societies, has turned out to be rather difficult. In our edited volume, we argue that an important factor that previous studies have overlooked is compensation. This means that when resources are lacking or have suddenly been lost, some attempts are made to access other resources. These attempts may come from the children, the parents themselves, or other persons nearby, such as grandparents, other extended or new family members, or even neighbours.
PD_The road less (and less) travelled

The Road Less (and Less) Travelled

When deciding to move, men’s careers are still prioritised, but dual-income households are less likely to go
The decision to pick up and move is a complex one. Migrating involves both direct costs — the move itself — and indirect, opportunity costs, or the foregone benefits of staying put. Moving a household exacerbates this complexity. A new study by Sergi Vidal, Francisco Perales, Philipp M. Lersch and Maria Brandén confirms that this is especially true for dual-earner couples, couples in which both members work outside the home. In principle, this means expanding female labour force participation and shrinking earnings gaps could restrict family moves in the future.
Books and Reports: Primary Care in Denmark

Primary Care in Denmark

In many ways, primary care in Denmark performs well. Danish primary care is trusted and valued by patients, and is relatively inexpensive. But there are important areas where it needs to be strengthened. Most critically, Danish primary care is relatively opaque in terms of the performance data available at local level. Greater transparency is vital in the next phase of reform and sector strengthening. Robust information on quality and outcomes empowers patients and gives them choice. It can support GPs to benchmark themselves, and engage in continuous quality improvement.
Books and Reports: Grandfathers - Global Perspectives

Grandfathers - Global Perspectives

This is the first book to bring together international scholars from around the world and from a wide variety of disciplines, to discover what is known about grandfathers and analyse the impact of close involvement with their grandchildren. Within the context of increased divorce rates, single parent families and healthier, more active elders, grandfathers have come out of the shadows and re-invented themselves in a new caring, nurturing role.
Services Over Cash

Services Over Cash

To reconcile work and family is to improve gender and socioeconomic equality. This means the type of intervention will be just as important as its generosity. Take cash benefits for care services. Intended to provide families with flexibility, evidence suggests they subtly incentivise families to fall back on traditional divisions of household labour. Given cash, families, especially poorer families, tend to engage in more home care for their children.
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