University of Groningen Religiosity and Reproductive Decisions in Europe Bein, Christoph

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University of Groningen

Religiosity and Reproductive Decisions in Europe Bein, Christoph

DOI:

10.33612/diss.151942579

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Publication date: 2021

Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database

Citation for published version (APA):

Bein, C. (2021). Religiosity and Reproductive Decisions in Europe. University of Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.151942579

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Religiosity and Reproductive Decisions in

Europe

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Colofon

Bein, C.

All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author. Cover design: Eveleen Hamers, www.hardeenters.nl

Layout: Christoph Bein

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Religiosity and Reproductive

Decisions in Europe

PhD thesis

to obtain the degree of PhD at the University of Groningen

on the authority of the

Rector Magnificus Prof. C. Wijmenga and in accordance with

the decision by the College of Deans. This thesis will be defended in public on Monday 25 January 2021 at 12.45 hours

by

Christoph Bein

born on 20 September 1989 in Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany

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Supervisors

Prof. A.M.H. Gauthier Prof. M. Mynarska

Assessment Committee

Prof. A.C. Liefbroer

Prof. E. Rizzi Prof. L. Toulemon

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Das Pergament ist das der heil’ge Bronnen, Woraus ein Trunk den Durst auf ewig stillt?

Erquickung hast du nicht gewonnen, Wenn sie dir nicht aus eigner Seele quillt.

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Acknowledgements

Somehow, I already knew as a child that I wanted to pursue a PhD one day, even though back then, I had no idea in which subject this might be, and neither did I really know what it meant to do a PhD. Later, I grew fond of demographic topics, so Demography it should be. However, I still did not get what it actually meant to do a PhD. I only found that out while already being deep in the middle of my PhD project: A PhD is meant to be an intense journey of more than four years. Now I am at the end of this journey. And as with all journeys, its success greatly depends on your travel companions, whom I want to thank here.

First and foremost, I want to thank Anne Gauthier and Monika Mynarska, my supervisors. Without your guide, the whole journey would have been impossible. You two were the best team of supervisors thinkable and complemented each other in the perfect way. During the whole PhD journey, I was able to climb a steep learning curve thanks to your guidance in this growth process. Despite having the tight schedules that probably every busy professor has, you always took your time and made sure that everything is properly finished to perfection. Alongside this strong guidance, you also gave me a lot of freedom to choose the direction of the PhD journey.

From my home region in the middle of Germany, my educational journey took me to all four directions of the compass: East (Jena), North (Rostock), South (Rome) and West (The Hague). What would be more fitting to finish the trip where it began? Martin Bujard, thank you for making that possible by organizing a research stay at the Federal Institute of Population Research in Wiesbaden and for joining in as a co-author on my PhD journey.

Despite taking some Dutch lessons in The Hague, I had to ask for language support while writing the thesis. Thanks to Judith Koops and Jan Martens for polishing up the Dutch language parts of this thesis.

I also want to say thank you to the assessment committee as well as the reviewers and editors of the journals who gave valuable suggestions and comments that improved the contents of this thesis.

Now what would a PhD be without amazing friends and colleagues? My thanks go out to Michaël, who provided me a place to stay during my first weeks at NIDI, to Ilya for teaching me the trick with the coffee machine, to Damiano and Luisa for their wonderful food and

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cooking skills, to Rafael, Rae, Jaap, my office mate Sapphire, all the colleagues from the Families & Generations group and to all the people of NIDI as a whole. You all made my life in The Hague very enjoyable! A further thanks to Damiano for becoming one of my paranymphs.

A PhD journey also greatly depends on having a friendly home base where you can refuel your energy reserves and continue your quest. Danke an den “Treffpunkt feiner Geister” für eure Bespaßung und willkommene Ablenkung, wann immer es notwendig war!

As a fertility researcher, one is aware in everyday life that the family is the nucleus of society. Liebe Eltern, obwohl ich durch meine Auswahl eines gesellschaftswissenschaftlichen Studienwegs gewissermaßen das “schwarze Schaf” in einer Familie von Naturwissenschaftlern bin, habt ihr mir stets den Rücken gestärkt! Lieber Alexander, vielen Dank auch für deine moralische Unterstützung, und dass du mir als Paranimf bei der Verteidigung beistehen willst! Liebe Lulin, du weißt wie keine Zweite, wie es ist, mit einem Doktoranden verheiratet zu sein. Ohne dich und die vielen glücklichen Momente, die du mir jeden Tag schenkst, hätte ich es nie geschafft! Jetzt sind wir bereit, eine neue, noch viel größere Reise zu unternehmen.

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