Introduction -- Theory and Empirical Findings in Previous Investigations: Migration and Fertility; Family-Formation Context in the Countries of Origin; Socio-Demographic Characteristics of 'Guest Workers' and Their Descendants in Germany; Research Summary: Fertility of 'Guest Workers' in Germany; Research Approach and Working Hypotheses -- Empirical Analysis: Data, Method, and Explanatory Variables; Introductory Description of the Sample; Results: Transition to a First Child; Results: Transition to a Second Child; Results: Transition to a Third Child -- Discussion -- Summary.

This book examines fertility patterns of post-war labor migrants and their descendants in Germany. It includes an introduction to the post-war migration history of Germany and a thorough review of the international literature on fertility of migrants and cultural sub-groups. The author uses data from the German Socio-economic Panel Study and applies event-history techniques to test a set of competing hypotheses derived from the literature. The analysis finds evidence for the effects of adaptation, socialization and composition, as well as for an interrelation of events. It does not however find evidence for a disruptive influence of migration on childbearing behavior. The book shows the advantages of a longitudinal research design over the conventional cross-sectional approach and sets a new standard for research on the fertility of international migrants and their descendants in western European receiving societies.