Age-at-Family Formation and Family Size: a Cross-Cultural Comparison
Pillai, V.K.
Journal of Comparative Family Studies 15(2): 291-298
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-2328 Document Number: 407590
Demographers suggest that as the less developed societies become modernized, the direction and effect of the determinants of fertility in these societies will become similar to that of the developed societies. This study explores the net influence of age-at-family formation on family size among two high fertility populations in two different social contexts : one a developed setting (Racine in Wisconsin) and the other a developing setting (city of Ahmedabad in India). Age-at-family formation has a strong negative effect on completed family size. The effect is found to be stronger in the case of the population in Racine. For explaining the cross-cultural differences in fertility, the differences in the decision making process related to fertility may be more important than mere structural changes such urbanization and industrialization resulting in similar mean age-at-family formation.