REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND REPRODUCTIVE CAPACITY IN LESS INDUSTRIALIZED SOCIETIES

In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Band 369, S. 37-47

Abstract

The high-fertility regions of the world include Asia (without the USSR), the Far East, Africa, Latin America, & the Caribbean. Together these regions support about 70% of the world's pop. Crude birth rates as high as 60 have been reported for some pop's, while at the other end of the scale there are countries with rates in the 30's. Mainland China, India, & Pakistan all have very high birth rates. There is some variation in Africa, with very high rates being recorded for the northern & western regions. Variations are also evident in Latin America & the Caribbean. There is evidence of declines in a few of the regions being considered. In fact, in the case of Latin America, 2 of the countries-Argentina & Uruguay-are entering a phase of low fertility. Diff'ials of a wide variety are encountered in these pop's, but the patterns vary, & they do not always take the form associated with European pop's. Many S-cul elements, such as marriage, customs, religion, & general value systems, have been identified as signif in sustaining high fertility, & attempts have been made to reduce this association to statistical form. Another line of investigation of high fertility aims at a resolution of the levels into mathematical & statistical components. HA.