Tax reform and plans to have children: Darina Kmentová and Martin Kreidl presented their research in Budapest

Sociologist Zuzana Talašová (MUNI, MENDELU) presented the findings of her research at the British Sociological Association conference in Manchester. The research shows that great-grandparenthood is not merely a matter of age or biological position in a family tree, but represents a specific family role that, while it exists, remains socially almost invisible. Nevertheless, it is precisely great-grandparents who play an important role in maintaining family cohesion – not through everyday care, but through rituals, their presence, and the symbolic bridging of individual generations.

Veronika Corradi-Eiger from the Department of Sociology at FSS MU presented preliminary results of her study at the FACES conference in Munich that focuses on how the partnership histories of adult children influence whether their parents provide them with support. The data suggest that parents respond mainly to visible partnership changes (divorce, widowhood), that is, to transitions that are clear and socially recognisable.

Does COVID-19 vaccination affect fertility? A new analysis of Czech population data shows that public debates about the impact of vaccines on fertility are not based on reality. Eva Waldaufová from the Faculty of Science, Charles University, presented her findings at the Young Demographers conference, showing that differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated women existed even before the pandemic. We are seeing a significant decline in fertility after the pandemic in both groups, and the data does not suggest that this is caused by vaccination. Differences in reproductive behaviour are more likely related to structural and socioeconomic factors than to vaccination itself.