Programme > By author > Wertz Isaline

 Several studies claim that second-generation's fertility falls somewhere between the one of the first-generation and the one of the locals in the country of adoption. Moreover, while controlling for socio-economic status, differences in fertility behaviors of the second-generation and the locals seem to decrease and even sometime disappear. However, could we really speak about “second-generation” as a homogeneous group? What is hiding behind an average behavior?

My paper aims to answer these questions by studying the fertility of the second-generation of immigrants of Moroccan origin in the two largest Belgian metropolitan areas (Brussels and Antwerp). “Moroccan community” represents 9.5% of the population of these areas, and more than half of them belong to the second-generation.

In a first step, I will introduce the study population – second-generation women of Moroccan origin – and her general level of fertility while controlling for socio-economic status. If similar level of fertility can be observed between Belgians and the second-generation, behind these means seems to have different behaviors; while Belgian households show a relative homogeneous behavior, Moroccan of second-generation are characterized by much higher diversity in fertility behavior. Therefore, in a second step, I will establish a typology of second-generation Moroccan women to explain their heterogeneity in fertility from socio-economic factors and the partner's origin. In a last step, I will measure the potential contextual effect – influence of the metropolitan area and the neighborhood of residence – on their diversity.

This paper presents mainly statistical analyzes based on an individual data set incorporating a sample of 9010 women from the second-generation of Moroccans aged between 35 and 49 years, living in Brussels and Antwerp urban agglomerations. For each individual of the sample, the analysis uses time-series (2005, 2009, 2010) of socio-economic information, residential details concerning the neighborhood and urban agglomeration, in addition to the fertility and matrimonial behavior.