The Human Population: Patterns, Processes, and Problematics Lecture

1
The Human PopulationPatterns, Processes, and
ProblematicsLecture 9 Ch6 The Fertility
Transition

• Paul Sutton
• psutton_at_du.edu
• Department of Geography
• University of Denver

2
Chapter 6 Outline

• 1) Explanations for High Fertility
• 2) Explanations for Low Fertility
• 3) Some High Fertility Countries
• 4) Some Low Fertility Countries

3
Bertrand Russel Quote (1959)

• I am inclined to think that the most important
  of Western values is the habit of a low
  birth-rate. If this can be spread throughout the
  world, the rest of what is good in Western life
  can also be spread. There can be not only
  prosperity, but peace. But if the West continues
  to monopolize the benefits of low birth-rate(s),
  war, pestilence, and famine must continue, and
  our brief emergence from those ancient evils must
  be swallowed in a new flood of ignorance,
  destitution, and war.
• Does anyone else hear echoes of Malthus?

4
Explanations for High Fertility

• Need to replenish society
• Children as security and labor
• Desire for sons
• Family control vs. Fertility control

5
Global Map of Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

• Spatial pattern the same as when Bertrand Russel
  made his 1949 statement but actual levels are
  lower

6
The Evolutionary ResultThe Breeders win (need
to replenish society)

• For 99 of human history mortality was high
• Only High Fertility insured survival
• Pro-Natalist cults of Fertility an appropriate
  adaptation for survival.

7
Need to Replenish Society

• Fact 2 children/woman must survive to reproduce
  (on average)
• Only those societies that developed social
  institutions that encouraged child bearing and
  rewarded parenthood survived.

8
Kgatla people of South Africa

• A woman with many children is honored. Married
  couples acquire new dignity after the birth of
  their first child. Since the Kgatla have a
  patrilineal descent system (inheritance passes
  through the sons), the birth of a son makes the
  father the founder of a line that will perpetuate
  his name and memory the mothers kin are
  pleased because the birth saves them from shame

9
Yoruba People of West Nigeria

• Less than 4 children a family tragedy
• Personally desired fertility of 5.6
• Socially desired fertility 3 or less
• Actual fertility in between these value because
  of involuntary infecundity

10
Social Encouragement of High Fertility

• We often find for example that the permissive
  enjoyment of sexual intercourse, the ownership of
  land, the admission to certain offices, the claim
  to respect, and the attainment of blessedness are
  made contingent upon marriage. Marriage
  accomplished, the more specific encouragements to
  fertility apply. In familistic societies where
  kinship forms the chief basis of social
  organization, reproduction is a necessary means
  to nearly every major goal in life. The salvation
  of the soul, the security of old age, the
  production of goods, the protection of the
  hearth, and the assurance of affection may depend
  upon the presence, help, and comfort of
  progeny.This articulation of the parental
  status with the rest of ones statuses is the
  supreme encouragement to fertility.

11
Societal disconnect between infant and child
mortality and fertility

• Pro-natalist pressure encourages family members
  to bring power and prestige to themselves and to
  their group by having children and, this may
  have no particular relationship to the level of
  mortality within a family
• Any problems with this reasoning?

12
Children as Security Labor

• In Pre-Modern Societies human beings are the
  primary economic resource
• Even young children can produce more than they
  consume and support sick and elderly
• Note Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel notes
  that elderly make key informational contributions
  to Pre-Modern societies. In fact, our life
  expectancy reaching a certain critical point may
  have been key to development of complex
  civilization (This observation may be from other
  book The Third Chimpanzee)

13
Esther Boserup Quote (1981)

• In most of Africa, a large share of the
  agricultural work was and is done by women and
  the children, even very young ones, perform
  numerous tasks in rural areas. A man with many
  children can have his land cleared for
  long-fallow cultivation by young sons, and all,
  or nearly all, other agricultural work done by
  women and smaller children. He need not pay for
  hired labor or fear for lack of support in old
  age. A large family is an economic advantage--a
  provider of social security, and of prestige in
  the local community. Therefore, the large family
  is the universally agreed on ideal in most
  African communities.

14
What is the perception as toHow do more
children help?

• Human Lottery Tickets (one may get rich)
• Help with crops etc.
• Migrate elsewhere and send money home

15
What is the Reality as toHow do children help?

• Parents usually die before it is an issue
• In Pre-Modern society quantity more important
  than quality of children
• Studies show only a weak link between fertility
  and percieved need for old-age security

16
Desire for Sons

• Most Human Societies are Male Dominated
• (exception Minoan Crete and Navajo Nation?)
• In societies seeking An heir and a spare The
  TFR can almost be predicted by what TFR is needed
  for 2 male children
  In Pakistan 5.6 in Angola 6.8
• When Daughters marry Daughters Family provides
  Dowry to New Bride and Groom. This is a serious
  economic disincentive for daughters.

17
Desire for Sons in India

• Hindu Religion requires parents to be buried by
  their son.
• A son obtains victory over all people.
• A grandson provides immortality.
• A great grandson vaults one to the solar
  abode
• Needles to say this kind of belief system does
  encourage high fertility.

18
Desire for Sons continued.

• Malaysia Low desire for sons in both Malay
  (Muslim) and Indian (Hindu) populations
• China High desire for sons
• Korea High desire for son
• Viet Nam High desire for sons

19
Desire for Sons and Dropping Fertility (How can
that work?)

• Infanticide (not as common as previously thought)
• Sex-Selective Abortion (very common)
• Result More boys than girls in countries with
  high desire for sons. How big a social problem
  this will manifest as is an interesting question

20
Desire for SonsThe European Version
(Primogeniture)

• Definition Primogeniture
• 1) The state of being the firstborn of the
  children of the same parents
• 2) The exclusive right of inheritance belonging
  to the eldest son
• The male children
• 1)The Heir 2) The Soldier 3) The Priest
• Primogeniture waned with gender equity and the
  ideal family in Europe is now 1 boy and 1 girl

21
Family Control Fertility Control

• Natural Fertility rarely as high as Maximum
  Fertility
• Families Maximize benefit of Children
• Net Reproduction is how many survive
• Post-Natal Control methods
• Infanticide
• Fosterage
• Orphanage
• Note Post-Natal control is NOT fertility
  control

22
Keeping Women Down

• Making women have a lot of children is a great
  way to prevent them from doing a lot of other
  things. (How is it accomplished?)
• Child bearing rearing as Female
  purpose/role/identity
• No outside work or work for money
• No social mobility
• Family and Social Pressure to be a mother

23
(No Transcript)