The Fertility Revolution: A Supply-Demand AnalysisUniversity of Chicago Press, 1985 - 209 pages For most of human history a "natural fertility" regime has prevailed throughout the world: there has been almost no conscious limitation of family size within marriage, and women have spent their reproductive lives tied to the "wheel of childbearing." Only recently in developed countries has fertility been brought under conscious control by individual couples and childbearing fallen to an average of two births per woman. The explanation of this "fertility revolution" is the main concern of this book. Richard A. Easterlin and Eileen M. Crimmins present and test a fertility theory that has gained increasing attention over the last decade, a "supply-demand theory" that integrates economic and sociological approaches to fertility determination. The results of the tests, which draw on data from four developing countries—Colombia, India, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan—are highly consistent, though a number of the conclusions are likely to arouse controversy. For example, couples' motivation for fertility control appears to be the prime mover in the fertility revolution, rather than access to family planning services or unfavorable attitudes toward such services. The interdisciplinary approach and nontechnical exposition of this study will attract a wide readership among economists, sociologists, demographers, anthropologists, statisticians, biologists, and others. |
Contents
Theoretical Framework | 11 |
Model Methodology and Measurement | 35 |
Empirical Results and Tests | 58 |
The Historical Experience of Karnataka and Taiwan | 123 |
A CrossSectional Analysis of Ten Indian States | 148 |
Summary and Implications | 179 |
193 | |
201 | |
Common terms and phrases
05 level analysis Andhra Pradesh Bangalore births averted breastfeeding C-Cd chapter child mortality children ever born Cn-Cd Colombia contraceptive correlation costs of fertility costs of regulation couples deliberate control deliberate fertility control Demand Cd demand for children dependent variable desired family Developing Countries differences duration of marriage effect family planning outlet family planning programs family size limitation fecundity Females Aged 35-44 fertility regulation fertility revolution Gujarat household Kerala level or better Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Married Females Aged measure of motivation methods known motivation for fertility motivation measure natural fertility number of children number of methods number of surviving percent potential supply Pradesh present proximate determinants equation Rajasthan regulating population regulation costs Rural Karnataka Second birth interval secondarily sterile Significant at 05 Sri Lanka Tamil Srinivasan Supply Cn supply of children survey surviving children Taiwan Tamil Nadu theory tion United Nations unwanted children Uttar Pradesh women X₁