Chapter Two. Thinking about Demographic Family Difference Fertility Differentials in an Unequal Society

1981 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-315
Author(s):  
Carl Mosk

Many theories of demographic transition stem from attempts to explain fertility differentials across economic and social groups. These differentials typically emerge once a decline in natality commences. Thus it is commonly observed that the fertility of urban populations falls short of that recorded for agricultural districts, that the upper classes tend to precede the working classes in the adaptation of family limitation, and the like. These observations are, in turn, used to justify economic and sociological theories which, by associating both social status and economic costs and benefits with occupation and residence, account for the fertility decline in terms of status and constrained choice.


Demography ◽  
1967 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saw Swee-Hock

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tubosun Alex Olowolafe

Abstract Background: High level of fertility has been consistently reported in Nigeria. Women education is often identified as one of the important factors that have contributed to reduction in fertility across countries. It is essential to identify the factors that explain the fertility variation in educational status and know the extent of association of these factors across the regions in Nigeria. Thus, this study aimed to examine the fertility differentials among uneducated and educated women in Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional population-based design which involved secondary data analyses of the weighted sample of 2003 (n1=7620), 2008 (n2=33385), 2013 (n3=38948) and 2018 (n4=41821) Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data sets was used. Fertility was measured from information on the full births history of women aged 15-49 years. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition was used to identify factors that explain fertility differentials among educated and not educate women (α=0.05).Result: Total fertility rate estimate was higher among uneducated women (6.7) than educated women (4.5) in 2018. The pattern was similar across the regions and survey periods. The mean children ever born among women aged 45-49 years was significantly higher among the uneducated than educated women in each of the survey year. Maternal age at first marriage, wealth index and age at first birth were contributory factors to the dissimilarities found in fertility between the educated and uneducated women. Risk difference (RD) of high fertility between uneducated-educated women was highest in South-East (RD=56.9; 95%CI=49.1-64.8) and least in North-East (RD=15.0; 95%CI=9.9-20.1).Conclusion: The fertility level in Nigeria was high but more prominent among the uneducated than educated. Improving the level of educational enrolment of women of reproductive age will facilitate reduction in the fertility rate in Nigeria.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document