Religious Differentials in Fertility Planning and Fertility in the United States

The goal of this paper is a thorough review of the literature on the differences in fertility planning and fertility between married couples in the major religious groups in the United States (the Protestant Catholic and Jewish faiths). We shall examine the differences between couples in these three groups controlling for other relevant variables (such as socio-economic status) whenever possible in terms of both fertility planning and fertility per se. We shall attempt to answer these questions: Are there religious differentials among American couples in attitudes towards contraception and in contraceptive practice itself? Are there religious differentials in the actual and desired average number of births per family? Finally what has been happening over time in terms of religious differentials in fertility-are they narrowing stabilizing or widening? (excerpt)