Labour demand and economic utility of children: a case study in rural India
Vlassoff, M.
Population Studies, UK 33(3): 415-428
1979
DOI: 10.2307/2173889Document Number: 326072
The paper is concerned with the economic value of children to parents, focusing on labour contributions in an agriculturally based village in Western India. In order to evaluate the link between economic utility and fertility, demand for labour both within the village and between individual households is examined. The results show low levels of participation by children in family enterprises up to age 17 and underemployment beyond that age, accompanied by an impetus towards outmigration of sons. Families with greater demands for labour, including poorer households, receive less help from children than do other groups. It is argued that low productivity of labour in the survey area leads to a strong preference for educating sons. Concomitantly, sensitivity to costs of children is more prevalent among villagers than the belief that children are economically beneficial.