Fertility Transition in Rural South India

THIS work reports the socio-economic correlates of the recent fertility decline in the rural areas of south India. After an in-depth discussion of the social and economic structure of the research area the book explores the aspects of differential fertility, effects of changing family structure, and intra-family relationship on fertility and pattern of fertility decision-making. A micro-demographic research methodology was used to undertake this investigation in a cluster of four villages about 65 km. away from Bangalore. A beginning of fertility decline in this area was found running parallel to profound economic and social changes which have occurred especially since independence. Besides an important effect of declining infant and childhood mortality, the fertility decline was a function of material fertility associated with changes in the intrinsic behaviour of individuals. The behaviour changes were due to recent modification in intra-and inter-family relationships-the unilinearly extended family system appears to have given way to a bilateral extended system in which affines (wife’s side relatives) are playing a greater role in decision-making.