• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.151-179
• /
• 2012

This study investigates birth cohort and educational differences in the marital and fertility life course using the Hernes model. First, lifetime marriage rates remain high across birth cohorts but men in the youngest birth cohort(1965-74) experience a somewhat significant reduction in ever-marriage rates. Second, this study also finds educational differences in lifetime marriage rates across birth cohorts. The likelihood of being never married is particularly high for poorly educated men in the youngest birth cohort but women show the opposite pattern. Third, quantum changes in the fertility transition are more likely to be the changes in higher-order births, while the changes in first and second births are mainly tempo changes. Fourth, the negative association between education and fertility is significantly larger for higher-order births. Finally, marriage and fertility show the opposite pattern in their association with education. Overall, educational differences in lifetime marriage rates become stronger across birth cohorts but the association between education and higher-order births shows the opposite pattern.