Birth control by assetless workers in Kerala: the possibility of a poverty induced fertility transition
Basu, A.M.
Development and Change 17(2): 265-282
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-155X DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7660.1986.tb00240.xDocument Number: 344293
The paper hypothesizes the possibility of a poverty induced fertility transition, i.e. a situation where a decline in fertility occurs as a response to negative or undesirable changes. It considers the state of Kerala as a special case of this. Evidence is discussed which suggests that: (1) a significant proportion of the fertility decline in Kerala is due to birth control by one group, the assetless labourers, of the poorest section in the state; and (2) the lot of this section of the population in Kerala has not unambiguously improved, and may actually have worsened in the areas relevant to fertility behaviour.