Childbearing in relation to parenting culture, family policy and diversity in Iceland

The research project Fertility intentions and behaviour in Iceland: The role of policies and parenting culture (FIBI) is organizing a symposium where the results of diverse studies related to the development of fertility rates and the impact of family policy and parenting culture on families in Iceland will be presented.

The seminar will be held in English and takes place on Friday, April 12, between 12:00 and 17:00 in Veröld, room VHV-008 and is open to everyone.

The keynote lecture is entitled What is 'Parenting Culture'? Exploring the challenges of 'intensive parenting' and presented by Dr. Charlotte Faircloth an Associate Professor in the Social Research Institute at University College London (UCL), UK. From sociological and anthropological perspectives, her work has focussed on parenting, gender and reproduction using qualitative and cross-cultural methodologies. This research has explored infant feeding, couple relationships, intergenerational relations and, recently, the impact of coronavirus on family life.

Other participants include Gerda Neyer, Senior Research Associate at Stockholm University, who has, among other things, specialized in the interaction of family policy and childbearing in Europe, as well as a diverse group of academics at the University of Iceland who are part of the FIBI research team.

The moderator is Guðbjörg Andrea Jónsdóttir, an expert at the Ministry of Universities, Industry and Innovation.

Programme:

12:00-12:10 Introduction FIBI team

12:10-12:50 Charlotte Faircloth - Keynote What is ‘Parenting Culture’? Exploring the challenges of ‘intensive parenting’

12:50-13:10 Ari Klængur Jónsson Fertility decline in Iceland, 2013-2022: Trends and Structures

13:10-13:30 Ásdís Arnalds The 2021 Baby boom in Iceland: Exploring the role of a Parental Leave Reform and the COVID-19 Pandemic

13:30-13:50 Sunna Símonardóttir Fertility intentions in Iceland – the pull between equality and intensive mothering

13:50-14:10 Gerda Neyer: Not only births, but also intentions: Another puzzle of the fertility decline in developed countries

14:10-14:30 Coffee break

14:30-14:50 Karen Ástudóttir Kristjánsdóttir LGBTQ+ Parenthood and ART in Iceland: Emotions, Access, and Social Discourse

14:50-15:10 Sólveig Sveinbjörnsdóttir As laggards or with aspiration for fatherhood: Discrimination represents itself in migration journey of male refugees

15:10-15:30 Íris Ellenberger og Annadís Rúdólfsdóttir „In the interest of the child“: Discursive constructions of LGBTQ+ foster parenting in interviews with social service providers

15:30-15:50 Guðný Björk Eydal og Kolbeinn Hólmar Stefánsson Caring fathers and working mothers: Reconciliation and Icelandic Reality

15:50-16:10 Unnur Dís Skaptadóttir Migrant families with disabled children in Iceland

16:10-16:30 Kristín Heba Gísladóttir Double Duty: Women, Work, and Family Balance

16:30-17:00 Discussions

17:00-18:30 Drinks and refreshments

The FIBI project received a Grant of Excellence from the Icelandic Research Fund in 2021. This multi-disciplinary project will seek answers to whether Icelandic family policies adequately reflect the needs and diversity of Icelandic families, while also placing focus on how parenting culture shapes people’s decisions on the timing and number of births. Iceland presents a unique setting for studying fertility decisions and behaviour, with its emphasis on gender equality, diverse family forms, and policies that support both parents’ participation in work and care. The project´s findings, stemming from a novelty multi-methodological approach, will be important for understanding childbearing behaviour in Iceland, whilst also contributing to the advancement of theories on fertility and family development.