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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 4
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.104.13947.
Francis, K., & Wandaka, J. K. M. (2023). Influence of Hospitality Careers on Preferred Family Size. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 10(4). 34-49.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Influence of Hospitality Careers on Preferred Family Size
Dr. Kabii Francis
Lecturer Tourism Department, Kenya Utalii College
Box 31052-00600 Nairobi, Kenya
John K.M. Wandaka (PhD)
Sustainable Tourism & Environmental Management Consultant
ABSTRACT
The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of hospitality careers on
preferred family size. The specific objective was to examine whether ladies' level of
education, age, and careers influence their decision on the number of children they
would have. The descriptive research method was used in the study. The data was
collected from 186 respondents who were randomly selected. The study
triangulated both qualitative and quantitative methods. The majority 46% of the
respondents had 1 to 2 children while 30% had 3 to 4 children with a minority of
8 % having between 4 to 6 children. This finding was significant X2 =88.377, df (4),
p<.0001 It was found that women's employment, education, marital status, attitude
toward having children, and availability of family planning methods influenced
their family size. There were weak positive correlations (r=0.195) p<0.026)
between the hospitality career and the preferred family meaning that the career
influenced respondents' attitude towards family size. There was a positive
correlation between job flexibility and intention to have a family (r=-.483, p<.003.)
There were weak inverse correlations between the financial cost of bringing up
children and the number of children a family would like to have (r=-227, p<.012).
Keywords: Influence, Hospitality Career, Preferred Family Size
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between careers in the hospitality
industry and the preferred family size by employees. The study hypotheses that women's level
of education and support were given by their employers influenced their choices regarding
their fertility and preferred family size. The study also hypothesizes that women's age,
positions in employment, and income significantly influence choice on fertility.
Studies have indicated that there is a negative relationship between women's education and
their fertility (Götmark, & Andersson, 2020; Wood, et., al. 2020 Cheng, 2020). Fertility in this
case is defined as the maximum number of children a woman prefers less than the number, they
avoid deliberately through the use of family planning methods (Towriss, et al.,
(2020). Normally, it has been observed educated women have fewer children as compared to
uneducated ones. Pritchett, & Sandefur, (2020); Som, & Mishra, (2020). This study further
argues that the type of job, and nature of employment whether contract or permanent influence
the time when women engage in a relationship and the desire to start a family. The study noted
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Francis, K., & Wandaka, J. K. M. (2023). Influence of Hospitality Careers on Preferred Family Size. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
10(4). 34-49.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.104.13947
that most hospitality facilities such as hotels and resorts may be located in urban areas as
compared to rural forcing the ladies to separate from their families if employees. Getz, &
Morrison, (2004) in their study noted that jobs located in rural areas may not be conducive to
starting a family due to limitations such as accommodation that can support a young family and
other social services such as school. Those working in such environments visit their family
members during their off days and while on leave.
With this background in mind, the author, therefore, examines the influence of jobs in the
hospitality sector on preferred family size
Study Objective
The objective of this study was to investigate factors that influence the preferred number of
children for those working in the hospitality sector in Kenya. The specific objective was to
investigate whether ladies' level of education, ages, and their careers affect desires on family
size. The null hypothesis of the study was
1. Ho: Employees preferred family size is significantly independent of their education,
employment, and income.
2. Examine support given to nursing mothers working in the accommodation sector in
Kenya
Problem Statement
Globally, the fertility rate is always reducing and there is no uniform reason to explain the
trend. Some of the reasons for this reduction is education where advocates of this argument
opine that as people get more educated, they tend to prefer having fewer children as compared
to uneducated ones. This opinion might be limited to some countries, religions, and individuals
as the findings may have been limited to the study areas and respondents. In Kenya, the
discussion on the reducing fertility rate and preferred family size has been going on. All kinds
of arguments have been forwarded by those who see the number of children from the societal
perspective while others see it from the economic lens and relate children to the labor force in
a family while others see the same from a religious perspective. These different categories of
scholars answer the question of the global reduction of fertility rates. The common
denominator is that family size is reducing which has its positive and negative impacts
depending on the country of study.
The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the influence of hospitality careers on
preferred family size
LITERATURE REVIEW
Women's Education and Family Size
The number of women entering the global labor market in the service industry is increasing
tremendously. There may be many reasons amongst them being women's empowerment and
education. The world community has also witnessed a reduction in the fertility rate and the
phenomenon has been associated with women's entry into the labor market. The fertility rate
for Kenya in 2021 was 3.363 births per woman, compared to 3.416 births per woman in 2019,
representing a 1.5% decline. (https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/KEN/kenya/fertility- rate). Behrman, & Gonalons-Pons, (2020) noted that incompatibility between employment and
child-rearing leads to a reduction in infertility Employment and moneymaking activities are
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 4, April-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
incompatible with childrearing as they take place outside the house and under a time schedule
that is more inflexible than employment performed in the house. Research in high-income
countries shows that women who are employed have fewer children than women who are not
employed (England, et al., 2012).
Although different scholars have investigated the effect of women's education on their fertility,
their findings are different (Bongaarts, 2020; Liu, & Raftery, 2020 Masuda, &
Yamauchi, 2020). This may be because the fertility rate is influenced by variables such as
religion, culture, and the respondent's background. There are no universal variables that may
be used when measuring such relations. This study, therefore, looks at the effect of education
of those working in the hospitality career on desired family size. Previous studies by Abdi, et
al., 2020; Al-Kharif, et al., 2020 and Po, & Hickey, 2020 indicated just like in Kenya, the man is
the head of the family who influences the women's decisions on family size. In Kenya, the
gender of the child would influence whether a couple would have an additional child or not and
whether to use the family planning method (Mushy, et al., (2020). With women's
empowerment, through education, some are preferring not to marry but have children brought
up as single mothers thus making them the sole breadwinner. This self-reliance increases the
women's pressure for more education which translates to more time spent in school. Studies
have documented that there is a linear relationship between the level of education and job
opportunities and income. Behrman, & Gonalons-Pons, (2020) and Yilmaz, & Benli, (2020).
Alberto Cazzola, Lucia Pasquini & Aurora Angeli (2016) observed that the level of women's
education may differently influence the fertility rate. Educated women are economically more
capable of supporting more babies when compared to those uneducated but still prefer fewer
children. This negative relationship is strong and varies between developed and undeveloped
countries. Educated women tend to have better jobs and earn more income and may trade in
between having children and getting better educated. Similar studies by Connell, et al., (2020
and Knodel, et al., (1990) found that women who attend schools have different ideas about
family size than those educated. It is not clear whether the relationship is causal as there are
other intervening variables in the relationship.
Martin, 1995 in their study reported that improvement in women's education affects fertility
through the number of children a couple can have, the number they want, and the ability to
control birth through available methods. Other mediating variables are age, natural fertility,
and attitudes toward marriage. The family size preference can also depend on how long a
woman is in a relationship (Achdut, & Refaeli, 2020). It has been reported by Achdut, Refaeli.
(2020) that educated women delay marriage and cohabitation thus affecting their natural
fertility which reduces with age increases.
Kim, (2016) found that education also affects breastfeeding and educated women tend to
breastfeed their children for a shorter time as compared to those with lower education and
have a higher chance of subsequent pregnancy than those less educated ones. On the other
side, studies that while girls are in school, they have a fewer chance of becoming pregnant as
compared to those, not in school Bellerose, et al., 2020; Murphy-Graham, et al., 2020; Mumah,
et al.,2020; and Indongo, (2020). The number of years a woman spends schooling impacts
relationship to time or cohabitation, childbearing, and early motherhood the time for raising
children at home is usually lacking as it translates to forgoing income generated from their