Aspirations for Marriage and Parenthood Among Young Adults in the Philippines: The Intersection of Modernization and Individuality

Family structures and dynamics in the Philippines have long been rather traditional, yet the country has undergone substantial economic and cultural change over recent decades. During a time of increased modernization, marriage and fertility rates have declined, while cohabitation and singlehood rates have increased. Using a sample of young adult women and men, this study examines the respective aspirations for marriage and childbearing in the Philippines. The results show that while a majority of both sexes do prefer to marry someday, approximately one-fifth of young women do not aspire to have children. Pronatalist attitudes are shown to be very minimal, suggesting that the valuation of having children is markedly low. The marriage and fertility aspirations of young women are substantially associated with parental factors, while the aspirations of young men appear to be more individualistic. The implications of the findings, along with the future of marriage and childbearing patterns in the Philippines, are discussed within a framework of the Second Demographic Transition and developmental paradigm.