Maternal Mortality on the Croatian-Bosnian Border 1700-1900

Eugene A. Hammel, University of California, Berkeley
Aaron Gullickson, University of California, Berkeley

Maternal mortality on the Croatian-Bosnian border 1700-1900 was high. It was exacerbated by episodic military mobilizations and by secularly increasing wage labor, both of which withdrew male labor from family farming. We hypothesize that both the episodic and secular withdrawals of male labor placed extra burdens on on pregnant/parturient women and on those who would care for them. We focus especially on effects of kinship connections in autarkic patrilineal joint households. The presence of unmarried husband's sisters lowered the mortality risk of wives; the labor of these sisters was a public good in the household. The presence of husband's brothers' wives exacerbated the mortality risk; such women were rivals competing for household resources. The existence of natal kin, living in other households, seems to have no effect. We conclude that knowledge of local structures and preferences is necessary to understand the behavior of actors and of demographic outcomes.