著者

湯沢 雍彦

出版者

東洋英和女学院大学

雑誌

人文・社会科学論集 = Toyo Eiwa journal of the humanities and social sciences (ISSN:09157794)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.17, pp.173-196, 2001-02

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During the last ten years, only Denmark among the developed countries succeeded in increasing the total fertility rate (TFR). It will serve as great reference to Japanese society that suffered from the continuous decline of TFR, to determine the cause of increasing TFR in Denmark by clarifying the relation between TFR and life structure. From August through the beginning of September in 1999, we implemented the field study on this issue in three cities of Elsinore(Helsingor), Odense and Bogense. We visited a Folkeskole (elementary and junior high school), an integrated day care facility for children aged 6 months to 5 yrs old (day nursery and kindergarten), a municipal office, the committee for labor market (Arbejdsskadestyrelsen), etc. We interviewed ten couples with children and observed also three families closely while staying at their homes. Also we made questionnaires on family budget, time budget and life consciousness.The findings are as follows:1. By putting the Social Assistance Act into effect and by revising it thereafter, not only the period of the paid parental leave was extended, but also the facilities for children under nine and child-caring system were well prepared.2. All companies keep up the time of 4 p.m. as the closing time of the day, and parents establish their habits of coming back home straight from jobs after picking up their children at the children's facilities.3. Due to the booming economy since 1993, the income of families has grown up over the rate of inflation. The cost of raising children has not caused families economic burden. It means that families have not been suffering from the cost of child-care.4. In Denmark having many children is perceived as a way to make life lively and enjoyable, and spending time with one's family is considered more important than working.5. The social structure is such that there is no need to save money for education and health care.6. The baby boom generation of 25 ~ 30 years ago is reaching child bearing age. (This fact might have the most direct and the strongest influence on the increasing TFR.)