Risk Society and Childbearing: A Study in the city of Rasht

Contemporary social transformations have left individuals in the two ways of freedom in and uncertainty in their choices. Today, childbearing is accompanied by a lot of such contradictions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of these transformations and the risks in the childbearing decision of couples in Rasht, with an emphasis on the theory of Ulrich Beck and Elizabeth Beck-Gransheim. The method of this research was survey and the data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of all 25-49 years old couples in Rasht. Using stratified sampling method, 383 families were selected as the sample of the study. The findings show that among the women, the variables of decline of traditional values, freedom in choice, education and age at marriage, and among men in addition to these variables, the variable of individuality also contributed to their childbearing and reduced the probability of childbearing. Finally, despite the fact that people face various risks and issues, they are still giving birth to children because of their love in having child. However, in the two ways of childbearing risks and interest in the child, they choose the third route of giving birth to fewer children.