Abstract: Individualisation is often considered as an important cause for fertility decline. The inverse correlation between the individualisation and the fertility rate was tentatively verified by the demographic evolution trajectory of many countries around the world, but it was questioned during the successful implementation of family policies in France which had led to a rebound in fertility. This process, revolving around the different attitude towards the individualisation of family, could be divided into two stages. The first stage occurred before the end of the 1960s. The core concept was to suppress individuality and revive family order. As a result, the instability of marriage and family gradually increased, and the birth rate did not rise but fell. The second stage began in the 1970s with a new shift of law and policies towards accommodating individual demands and respect ing individual choices. The government paid more attention to assist vulnerable individuals in the redistribution of economic and social resources. This had brought about a rebound in fertility since the 1990s.
The experience in the latter stage reflects the understanding of the French academic and political circles on the dual connotations of individualisation. In the face of the positive aspects of individualisation, they advocated accepting and making good use of the initiatives exhibited by individuals, and thus introduced a series of regulations and measures to ensure his or her autonomy in marriage and childbirth. However, in the face of the negative aspects of individualization, attempts were made to level the gap between different individuals in terms of gender and intergenerational relationships in order to prevent and curb social injustice. As a result, an underlying logic of taking into account both individual freedom and social fairness has been gradually formed in the French family policies. The French government has used this as a criterion to consistently adjust and implement laws and policies, and ultimately eased the fertility decline issue set by individualisation. The purpose of this study is not only to present specific measures for encouraging birthrate, but also to explore appropriate policy intervention to reverse the impact of individualisation on fertility, so as to provide ideas and inspiration for countries that are still trying to find an effective solution to the problem.

Key words: individualisation, fertility, France, family policy, underlying logic