Economic Value of Children and Fertility Behaviour in an Agricultural Society

Ravendra K. Sharma, Delhi University Enclave
Arvind Pandey, Indian Council of Medical Research

The shift from high to low levels of fertility is usually accompanied by a corresponding shift in the demand for children in terms of values-disvalues attached to them. In fact, the value of children is seen to have important link with the chain of events through which general social and economic changes are related to fertility changes. In agricultural societies, children are beneficial to parents from an early age as labour, represent as an investment for old age, as insurance against risk in hazardous environment and enhance the physical security and political influence of the family. However increasing education, mobility, modernization and broken down of the big kinship system in these societies have brought a transition in values of children and fertility behavoiur. About 500 currently married women aged (15-44) and their husbands are interview in the rural areas of Bulandshahr district of western Uttar Pardesh, India, to examine the economic benefits (perceived) of children and to examine the extent to which these values are associated with fertility and family planning behaviour of parents. The analysis reveals that parents have high economic expectation from there children, but mothers are more likely to reported the old age security as one of the most important advantage of sons. Both mothers and fathers want that their daughters should assist in household chores. Three indices have been computing to measure the extend of the perceived economic values and disvales. All three indices are found to have significant effect on the fertility preferences of parents.

Presented in Poster Session 2: Fertility and Family