Cultural Factors Influencing Childbearing Preferences In Tehran City

The aim of this article is to investigate the effects of cultural factors on fertility preferences of young people in Tehran City. The data was collected using cross-sectional survey and multistage sampling in different regions of Tehran and sample size was 720 young married aged 15-30 years. The results indicated that the average ideal and desired number of children in the viewpoint of respondents was 2.19 and 2.15, respectively.  One child was ideal for  19 percent of respondents, two children was ideal for 54 percent of respondents and three and more children was ideal for 25 percent of sample. The corresponding rate for desired fertility was 18, 57, and 24 percent, respectively. The results also showed that, moderate value and cultural orientation prevailed among most respondents, however, about 20 percent showed modern value orientation (individualist, gender egalitarianism and secular). Bivariate analysis indicated that respondents with individualism, gender egalitarianism and secularism have lower ideal and desired fertility compared to others. Controlling with socio-demographic variables, multivariate analysis revealed that value orientations, in the form of individualism, gender egalitarianism, and secularism, significantly have negative and significant effects on fertility ideals. Therefore, changes in value and attitude systems strongly affected fertility and childbearing ideals. Given the trends towards expanding modern value orientations; fertility decline is expected.