The impact of political-demographic considerations on European attitudes towards parenting and adoption by same-sex couples

Abstract

This study investigates attitudes towards the adoption rights and parenting skills of same-sex couples in 25 European countries using data from the European Social Survey and the European Values Study. The aim is to explore how political-demographic processes and various types of pronatalism intersect and shape attitudes towards same-sex parenting issues. Our hierarchical regression analysis reveals that similar social groups generally accept both same-sex adoption rights and parenting skills. Additionally, attitudes towards these issues are influenced by views on immigration and voluntary childlessness, along with macro-level factors like legal regulations, gender inequality and religiosity. The study enhances the understanding of European political-demographic processes and the concept of selective patriotic pronatalism – defined as a preference for the reproduction of certain social groups over others, framed as a national or patriotic duty – by highlighting that various forms of pronatalism can actually impede reproductive empowerment.