Attitudes Towards Reproduction and Creating a Family Among Albanian Women—The Case of Arachinovo Municipality, North Macedonia

Abstract

The place people live can determine whom they meet, the partners they choose, the level of education they accomplish, the income they earn, and the options available to them and their families. It also affects life habits, customs, and affects attitudes regarding reproduction, and creating a family. The municipality of Arachinovo with all its characteristics and specifics, especially the attitudes of women toward reproduction and creating a family is very challenging to study. Located around 12 km from the capital city center, this municipality stands out in terms of birth rates, and ethnic and religious homogeneity. Data for the main analyses in the paper were obtained by a field survey conducted in April and May of 2020. The survey included a little over 60 women of reproductive age, divided into three age groups. For the analysis of the variance of the means of the three chosen groups, standard statistical tests were used, while the one-way ANOVA test was used for testing seven hypotheses for the equality of the means of the three independent specimens. A chi-squared test of independence of a pair of random variables based on observations was made, for the whole sample, according to the considered questions. The research and the gained results are expected to contribute to the creation of appropriate economic, social, and demographic policies, which will enable greater inclusion of women in the educational process, the labor force, and society, and will raise awareness about their role and place in the family.