Reply-To: <mgarcia@marine.unc.edu>
From: "Marco A. Garcia" <mgarcia@marine.unc.edu>
To: <ppn@csf.colorado.edu>
Subject: RE: Class and Mortality
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 22:43:25 -0400
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Martha,

as far as I understand (in my limited biologist view of societal processes)
class structure can be an important determinant of fertility rates,
especially in developing countries.

In Developed Country societies, childbearing constitutes a consumptive
activity, an economic liability.  I suspect many factors contribute to this
situation; weak familiar kin and community networks, commoditized goods and
services, parents do not generally expect economic returns from their
children and the individualism of the capitalist culture that has resulted
in a materialist and rational attitude towards children.

In Third World countries, which social security systems have been reduced to
nil as a result of economic adjustment measures, children are the only
source of support for the poor elder and disabled that are unable to
participate in the labor force.  Also, in contrast to the norm in
middle-class Western cultures, Third World children start providing for the
family at very early ages.  According to Caldwell (1982) by his 15th
birthday, a Javanese boy has repaid the entire investment his family made in
him.  In Bangladesh, a son provides labor and income by the age of 6 and by
the age of 12 he contributes more that he consumes.

Infant mortality is another important issue that has a clear correlation
with high fertility and class structure.  The higher infant mortalities are
observed in the poorest countries, the same that have the higher fertility
rates.  In the less developed regions, the average infant mortality rate is
69 per 1,000 births.  This is a sharp contrast with the 1.9 child deaths per
1,000 births observed in Developed Countries.  [Infant mortality statistics
account only for children that die during the first year, but many more
children die during later years due to lack of health care, nutrition and
other factors associated with poverty]

Among poor women, childbearing also represents the only available means to
social and family empowerment.

High fertility rates among the bottom of the class structure are not the
result of ignorance, apathy or lack of access to contraceptives, as is
usually depicted by white middle-class westerners. High fertility rates, are
in fact a rational, well-founded economic/survival strategy for the poor.


Marco A. Garcia
Department of Marine Sciences, UNC-Chapel Hill
Phone: (919) 918-7713
e-mail: mgarcia@marine.unc.edu
www: http://mgarcia1.dyn.ml.org