Access to land, caste/ethnicity and fertility in a village in rural Nepal
Niraula, B.B.
Asian Profile 17(2): 177-188
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0304-8675 Document Number: 302001
The article examines the relationship between socioeconomic variables and fertility variables using a 10% sample of households in a village in Jhapa District, eastern Nepal. Fieldwork was carried out during December to January 1986/87. After giving background details to the study area and village, the dependent and independent variables are discussed. Access to land, quality of land holding, and caste/ethnicity are considered to be independent variables, and number of children ever born and desired as dependent variables. After conducting a log-linear analysis, it was established that ownership and operation of land were important determinants of fertility, with family size increasing with increase in land holding or operation. There was found to be substantial demand for male as against female children. Land ownership and fertility may have a non-linear relationship, being low for the landless, higher for those owning a small amount of land and lower for those with larger holdings.