Early childbearing and the option to postpone

Blanca Zuluaga ()

Revista Cuadernos de Economia, 2018, vol. 37, issue 73

Abstract: This paper uses the option value theory to analyse whether there is any value in postponing childbearing for young women. The main insights are based on the idea that the costs of bearing tend to decrease in time and are subject to uncertainty. The analysis involves women with different socioeconomic characteristics. Our findings suggest that, as long as the possibilities of poorer women to reach high schooling increase, they will optimally postpone childbearing. In other words, early childbearing by impoverished women might be a rational reaction to their disadvantaged situation, where opportunities to reach high achievements are low, with or without a child. Este artículo emplea la teoría del valor para analizar si hay un valor para una mujer joven de posponer la maternidad. Los principales argumentos están basados en la idea de que el costo de tener un hijo decrece con el tiempo y que está sujeto a incertidumbre. Hacemos el análisis para mujeres con distintas características socioeconómicas. Los resultados sugieren que mientras las posibilidades para las mujeres pobres de alcanzar altos niveles de escolaridad sean altas, ellas elegirán posponer la maternidad. En otras palabras, la maternidad temprana para las mujeres pobres podrá verse como una reacción óptima a su situación desaventajada, donde las oportunidades de alcanzar altos logros son bajas, con o sin un hijo.

Keywords: Childbearing; education; option value; fertility decisions; Colombia. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D1 I13 I24 I30 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:col:000093:016017

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