Pathways through the life course have changed considerably in recent decades. Many of our assumptions about leaving home, starting new relationships and having children have been turned upside down. This volume, edited by Ann Evans and Janeen Baxter, makes use of rich longitudinal data from a unique Australian project to examine these changes. Drawing on broader theories of social change and demographic transitions in an international context, each chapter provides a detailed empirical assessment of the ways in which Australian adults negotiate their work and family lives.

The relationship between the economy and population dynamics has long been discussed, but is still controversial. Fertility is commonly assumed to follow the economic cycle, falling in periods of recession and vice-versa, though scientific evidence is still not unanimous on this. This report by Giampaolo Lanzieri looks at fertility trends in 31 European countries against selected indicators of economic recession.

A European team of 25 researchers focused on the issue of declining birth rates in three German-speaking countries. A summary of their findings and recommendations has now been published in a booklet that questions many commen myths. It can be downloaded for free in English, German and French (see link). The team, gathered between 2009 and 2012 by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Leopoldina, represents various disciplines – sociology, demography, history and medicine.

Recently published by the Demographic Research Institute of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (Eds. Péter Őri & Zsolt Spéder), this comprehensive book describes Hungary’s demographic situation and interprets the trends in a European context. The publication aims to reach out to a broad audience by explaining demographic topics in a way that can be easily understood by experts and the general public alike. It updates the previous 2009 issue and additionally introduces two major new approaches: The first one is the emphasis on regional differences within the country.

The Robert Bosch Stiftung presents the study "Starke Kinder - Starke Familie" (in German) on the well-being of children in cities and communities. This study shows how municipalities can support and boost the quality of life, development opportunities, and social participation of children. Making children “strong” in this sense requires a joint effort by families, civil initiatives, businesses and government agencies that also involves the children themselves.

This book, edited by Sonja Drobnič and Ana M. Guillén, addresses tensions between work and private life. The amount of time spent on work, nature and design of the job, and working conditions in general influence the degree to which people are able to combine work and other important parts of life, such as family, care and social life. The eleven chapters of this volume explore job quality, job security, working conditions and time-use patterns of individuals and households. They also look at institutional contexts, such as family policy and other country characteristics.