Old age security and the utility of children in Rural India
Vlassoff, M.; Vlassoff, C.
Population Studies 34(3): 487-499
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0032-4728 PMID: 22077170 DOI: 10.1080/00324728.1980.10410457Document Number: 449672
Summary This study investigates old age security as a possible motivation for high fertility, using information gathered by means of questionnaires and participant observation in an Indian village during 1975-76. Results indicated that such motivation may be quite weak, and hence that population policies aimed at lowering the economic value of children through public social security programmes would achieve little. A variety of evidence pointed to the importance of economic assets, mainly land, in assuring security in old age rather than an abundance of sons. Moreover, given a low expectation of life the necessity to provide support to the aged was infrequent, a fact which seemed to be appreciated by the surveyed villagers.