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The higher education system in Flanders comprises 8 universities and 29 nonuniversity higher education institutions (colleges of higher education: hogescholen). Furthermore, there is a Royal Military Academy and a Protestant Theological Faculty in Brussels. Although higher education in Flanders is divided into university education and non-university education, it is questionable whether the Flemish system is a genuine example of the binary model.

The chapter focuses on married women's employment in Flanders in terms of family formation, spousal characteristics, education, individualistic attitudes, & childbearing. Most Belgian working, married mothers opt for part-time employment; work orientation tends to be determined by age & education level. Despite Belgium's general integration of social-democratic & conservative welfare policies, it has been relatively inattentive to fostering women's economic status even while generously providing for family support. Yet no strong evidence supports specific spousal or parental-economic influence on wives' work transitions, indicating that individualism informs family-role & employment choices. 3 Tables, 1 Figure, 1 Appendix, 37 References. K. Coddon

From 1966 to 1990 there was a marked rise in the use of voluntary sterilization in Flanders, followed by a fall in women under the age of 40. In the last three decades a remarkable change has occurred in the choice between male and female sterilization. Compared with many other European countries, sterilization of men and women is widely practised in Flanders. In 1996 40% of 40- to 44-year-old women underwent voluntarily sterilization or had voluntarily sterilized partners. Additionally, another 9% of these women were sterilized for medical reasons. Voluntarily sterilized couples are on average older than non-sterilized couples, and, obviously, consider their families to be complete. For couples with a complete family, parity is the most important predictor in the choice between sterilization and non-sterilization. Regularly practising Catholics undergo sterilization least. Also, highly educated couples are less likely to have a sterilization. Couples who ever experienced a contraceptive failure choose sterilization more. Voluntary sterilization has no substantial effect on the fertility of the population since the effect on the prevented numbers of both wanted and unwanted births appears to be small. However, if voluntary sterilization did not occur, differences in fertility within the population would probably increase. It is presumed that the popularity of voluntary sterilization in Flanders has passed its peak and that its use will decline in the near future.

SummaryIn a follow-up of males and females after voluntary surgical sterilization, the social characteristics of the applicants, their fertility and contraceptive history, their motivation, the indication for and mode of surgical contraception, the physical and psychological consequences of the operation, and the outcome of the selection and counselling procedures applied, were studied in a sample of 275 applications with a total of 540 subjects. The survey comprised the pre-operative examination, the first post-operative evaluation 4 months after surgery and the second after 12 months.The main reasons for applying for sterilization were excess fertility due to contraceptive failures and side-effects of reversible contraceptive methods. Almost all of the patients were satisfied with the operation, one of the highest proportions reported so far. Nevertheless, many experienced a real adjustment period. Notwithstanding the careful pre-operative information and counselling, serious fears were often observed, and many found the operation more severe than expected. For the vast majority of the patients the operation had no influence on their family relations. The sexual relationship too was usually unchanged. If there were changes, the positive effects always exceeded the negative ones.The high response to both the evaluations and the high proportions of satisfied individuals are in favour of the selection procedures and multidisciplinary counselling and follow-up practised.

Résumé L'article analyse la variation géographique du vieillissement démographique en Flan­dre. Nous examinons les évolutions combinées de la population âgée de plus de 65 ans et de celle des 20 à 49 ans, ainsi que leur lien avec la croissance naturelle et la migration. Les séries temporelles utilisées concernent la période 2001-2015 et proviennent du Registre National de Population publiées par l'office belge de statistique (Statbel). Elles sont complétées par les Projections démographiques pour les municipalités flamandes 2015-2030, préparées par le Gouvernement flamand. Les municipalités sont regroupées sur la base d'une analyse typologique des séries temporelles sur la composition de la population, l'évolution de la population de 65 ans et plus et de la population de 20-49 ans ainsi que sur les changements dans la migration nette et la croissance naturelle. La typologie issue de cette analyse discerne six modèles de vieillissement dont les plus proéminents sont: un important et ancien vieillissement à la côte; un futur vieillissement dans le Limbourg oriental et dans le nord de la province d'Anvers et, finalement, une croissance démographique et un vieillissement limité dans le centre de la Région flamande. Abstract The paper analyses the geographic variation in demographic ageing patterns in Flanders. We examine the combined evolutions of the elderly population aged over 65, and the young adult population aged 20-49, in relation to natural growth and migration. The data concern time-series on the period 2001-2015 from the National Population Register as published by the Belgian statistical office (Statbel). We complemented the time series with the Population Projections for the Flemish Municipalities, 2015-2030, prepared by the Flemish Government. A Finite Mixture Model is applied to cluster municipalities on the basis of population composition, change in the population aged 20-49 and over 65, and change in net migration and natural growth. We discern six ageing patterns. The most prominent ones are: first, a strong ageing in the past along the coast; second, a strong future ageing in Eastern Limburg and the North of the province of Antwerp; and third, population growth and limited ageing in the center of the Flemish Region.