P235s° Religion the Economics Fertility and of in South India Sriya Iyer Newnham College Faculty Economics and of University Cambridge Politics, of and UNIVERSITY LIBRARY CAMBRIDGE January 2000 PREFACE This dissertation is includes is done the result of my own work and nothing which the outcome of work in collaboration. The length of this dissertation does not exceed 80,000 words, as approved by the Degree Committee, Faculty Economics Politics, University Cambridge. of and of ii RELIGION AND THE ECONOMICS OF FERTILITY IN SOUTH INDIA ABSTRACT This thesis provides an account of the interplay between the economic, demographic and religious factors influence first fertility, which women's age at marriage, their adoption of contraception and their in in India. In doing, it implications for a group of rural communities southern so also assesses possible in India, into differences in state-level population policies which may need to take account nuptiality, fertility contraceptive adoption and across religious groups. Religion is demography in first, its conceptualised as affecting two ways: through philosophical content or 'particularised theology', and second, in terms of `characteristics' or socio-economic differences between different The focus is Hindu-Muslim demographics members of religious groups. of this study in India. Hence, 'particularised is dealt by in Chapter the theology' south component with undertaking, I, a detailed comparison of the philosophical content of Islam and Hinduism on marriage, birth control, importance family. The finding is the position of women, and the of children within the main that with birth is little difference between Hinduism Islam in the exception of provisions on control, there and demographic issues. The 'characteristics' is dealt by their theological positions on component with including in The is investigate socio-economic variables the econometric models. aim to whether there differences in fertility decision are any across religions the age at marriage, and the to use for biological factors. contraception, after controlling various economic, social and I 1995-96 fieldwork data in spent conducting micro-level and collecting primary a cluster of in the Indian Karnataka. The Ramanagaram town five communities south state of communities were and in Ramanagaram in Karnataka. The fieldwork villages the taluk of southern core of my consisted of detailed interviews 201 Hindu, Muslim Christian The interviews of a sample of rural and women. involved 93 from designed Descriptions questions administered a carefully questionnaire. of Ramanagaram, dataset in Chapters 2 3. the questionnaire and the are presented and Chapter 4 determinants first OLS analyses the of the age at marriage using methods and economic, biological These include both demand-side and socio-cultural explanatory variables. and supply-side factors: income, education of the women and their husbands, their occupations, the year of marriage (as a measure of `ideational change'), marital consanguinity, the age at menarche, religion, and caste status (for the Hindus only). The results of the analysis show that there was no statistically significant difference between Hindus and Muslims in the religious and socio-economic factors which affected first their age at marriage. In Chapter 5, a logit model with interaction variables is used to explore the influence on contraceptive husband's adoption of a variety of variables: women's and education, their occupations, family expenditure, ownership of a television (to measure `diffusion'), the influence of female extended family members, the ease of access to a contraceptive method, religion, and caste membership (for Hindus only). The analysis concludes that there was no statistically significant difference between Hindus and Muslims in the effect of different socio-economic factors on the decision to use contraception. In Chapter 6, fertility OLS interaction the analysis of using methods and variables explores the effect born influences on children ever of nonproximate such as education, expenditure, occupation, consanguinity, woman's age, son-preference and access to water and fuel infrastructure. The analysis did shows that while religion not exert a pure theological effect on fertility, there were statistically differences in the different factors significant effects of socio-economic such as access to education and fuel infrastructure, on the number of children ever born between Hindus, Muslims Christians. and The most important implication of this analysis is that the factors fertility socio-economic which affect decisions in India be south may not necessarily uniform across religious groups, and that the socio- different 'characteristics' economic of religious groups may need to be targeted differently by policy- makers in order to influence demographic decision-making in India. south iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES vii ................................................................................................................................... LIST OF MAPS vii ......................................................................................................................................... LIST OF TABLES viii .................................................................................................................................... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Xi .......................................................................................................................... GLOSSARY OF FOREIGN WORDS xii ............................................................................................................ MAPS xiv ...................................................................................................................................................... INTRODUCTION 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 1. THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF COMMUNALISM AND ITS RELEVANCE TO THE STUDY OF FERTILITY 4 .... II. THE 7 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................... 111. OVERVIEW 8 OF THE KEY FINDINGS AND GAPS IN THE ANALYSIS ....................................................... A. Omitted fertility 9 effects of religion on ............................................................................................. B. Special features the 13 of sample area .............................................................................................. CHAPTER 1: RELIGION AND REPRODUCTION: AN EXAMINATION OF THE IMPACT OF RELIGION ON DEMOGRAPHY 15 ................................................................................................ I. HYPOTHESES ABOUT THE IMPACT OF RELIGION ON FERTILITY 16 ....................................................... A. The `pure hypothesis 17 religion effect' ........................................................................................... 1. Islam 18 ........................................................................................................................................................... The basic tenets Islam 18 a. and structure of ............................................................................................... b. Islam divorce 21 on marriage, polygyny and ........................................................................................... Islam birth 25 c. on control and abortion ..................................................................................................... d. Islam in the family, 26 on women's status children and son-preference ................................................ Empirical for the influence Islam fertility 28 e. evidence of on .................................................................. 2. Hinduism 29 .................................................................................................................................................... The basic tenets Hinduism 29 a. and structure of ........................................................................................ b. Hinduism divorce 31 on marriage, polygamy and ................................................................................... Hinduism birth 32 c. on control and abortion .............................................................................................. d. Hinduism in the family, 32 on women's status children and son-preference ......................................... Empirical for the influence Hinduism fertility 35 e. evidence of on ........................................................... 3. Islam Hinduism 36 and compared ................................................................................................................. B. The `characteristics' hypothesis 38 .................................................................................................... CHAPTER 2: RAMANAGARAM: MYTHICAL ORIGINS, PRESENT-DAY REALITIES....... 52 1. PROFILE INDIAN OF A SOUTH TOWN 53 .................................................................................................. A. Structure 53 ........................................................................................................................................ B. Reasons for Ramanagaram fir field 64 choosing study ................................................................... II. THE DATA SET 67 ................................................................................................................................... A. Methodology: sampling procedure, sample size and method of interview 68 .................................. B. The 72 questionnaire .......................................................................................................................... CHAPTER 3: THE `CENSUS' INFORMATION ON THE SAMPLE 75 ............................................ I. RURAL VS. URBAN RESIDENCE 75 ........................................................................................................... II. CASTE AND JATI 75 ................................................................................................................................ Ill. AGE 76 .................................................................................................................................................. IV. LANGUAGE 77 ....................................................................................................................................... V. LITERACY 78 .......................................................................................................................................... VI. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OCCUPATIONS 80 ..................................................................................... VII. HUSBAND'S CHARACTERISTICS 82 ..................................................................................................... iv VIII. INCOME 84 ......................................................................................................................................... A. Land 88 ownership ............................................................................................................................. B. Consumer 89 expenditure .................................................................................................................. C. Consumer 93 equipment .................................................................................................................. IX. THE NATURE OF THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE: THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, THE DECISION TO USE CONTRACEPTION AND CHILDREN EVER BORN 98 ................................................................................ CHAPTER 4: THE DETERMINANTS OF NUPTIALITY: THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE IN RAMANAGARAM 105 ....................................................................................................................... I. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE 106 .................................................................. A. Education 106 ................................................................................................................................................ B. Women's 110 employment ............................................................................................................................ C. Income 111 ..................................................................................................................................................... D. Social 116 norms ............................................................................................................................................ E. Religious, differences 118 ethnic and caste .................................................................................................. F. Husband's 120 occupation ............................................................................................................................. G. Age 121 at menarche ..................................................................................................................................... H. Marital 124 consanguinity ............................................................................................................................ 1. Other factors 127 ............................................................................................................................................ KARNATAKA H. A 131 SURVEY OF THE TRENDS IN MARRIAGE AGE IN .................................................... III. A MODEL OF THE DETERMINANTS OF THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE IN RAMANAGARAM 134 ......... IV. CONCLUSION 156 .................................................................................................................................. CHAPTER 5: THE DETERMINANTS OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN RAMANAGARAM. 168 I. THEORIES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE 170 ......................................................... II. CONTRACEPTIVE RAMANAGARAM 184 USE IN ..................................................................................... III. FERTILITY PREFERENCES, IDEAL FAMILY SIZE AND UNWANTED FERTILITY 195 .............................. A. Fertility 196 preferences ..................................................................................................................... B. Ideal family fertility 201 size and unwanted ...................................................................................... IV. A 209 LOGIT MODEL OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE .................................................................................... V. CONCLUSION 220 ................................................................................................................................... CHAPTER 6: THE DETERMINANTS OF FERTILITY IN RAMANAGARAM 230 ...................... I. PROXIMATE DETERMINANTS AND NONPROXIMATE DEVELOPMENTAL INFLUENCES 230 ..................... A. Proximate determinants 230 .............................................................................................................. B. Nonproximate `developmental' determinants 233 ............................................................................ 1. Infant and child mortality 233 ....................................................................................................................... 2. Education 234 ................................................................................................................................................. 3. Employment 237 ............................................................................................................................................. 4. Income 239 ...................................................................................................................................................... 5. Women's female status and autonomy 240 ..................................................... .............................................. 6. Children investment as consumer, producer and goods 242 ....................................................................... Water infrastructure a. 244 ........................................................................................................................... b. Fuel infrastructure 247 .............................................................................................................................. 7. Son-preference 252 ......................................................................................................................................... 8. Extended family 254 ....................................................................................................................................... 9. Religion 257 .................................................................................................................................................... 10. Marital consanguinity 262 ........................................................................................................................... 11. Caste 262 ....................................................................................................................................................... 12. Politics 263 .................................................................................................................................................... II. THE ALTERNATIVE: DO WE NEED AN `IDEATIONAL' THEORY OF FERTILITY? 264 ............................. III. CHILDREN EVER BORN IN RAMANAGARAM 268 .................................................................................. IV. REGRESSION MODELS OF THE NONPROXIMATE DETERMINANTS OF FERTILITY IN RAMANAGARAM 270 ................................................................................................................................... V. CONCLUSION 286 ................................................................................................................................... V 302 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 319 APPENDIX .......................................................................................................................................... 337 LIST OF REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. V1 LIST FIGURES OF CHAPTER 3 FIGURE 1. DISTRIBUTION (1996) 101 OF THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE ....... FIGURE 2. DISTRIBUTION OF THE DECISION TO USE CONTRACEPTION, RAMANAGARAM (1996) 102 SAMPLE ...................................................................................................................................... FIGURE 3. DISTRIBUTION (1996) 103 OF CHILDREN EVER BORN, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE ................... CHAPTER 4 FIGURE 1. FIVE-YEAR 154 MOVING AVERAGE OF AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE ............................................ FIGURE 2. PERCENTAGE 18 154 OF WOMEN MARRYING AFTER AGE ........................................................ CHAPTER 6 FIGURE 1. PROXIMATE 231 AND NONPROXIMATE DETERMINANTS OF FERTILITY CHANGE .................... LIST MAPS OF MAP 1. STATES INDIA AND UNION TERRITORIES OF xiii ........................................................................... MAP 2. DISTRICTS KARNATAKA OF xiii .................................................................................................... MAP 3. BANGALORE KARNATAKA RURAL DISTRICT, xiv .......................................................................... MAP 4. RAMANAGARAM KARNATAKA TALUK, xv ..................................................................................... vii LIST TABLES OF INTRODUCTION (1999) 3 TABLE 1: FERTILITY RATES BY RELIGIOUS GROUP, ALL-INDIA AGE-SPECIFIC .......................... (1996) 11 TABLE 2: INFANT AND CHILD MORTALITY, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE ..................................... (1999) 12 TABLE 3: INFANT AND CHILD MORTALITY BY RELIGION, ALL-INDIA ....................................... CHAPTER 1 44 INDIA (1995) TABLE 1: SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC INDICES BY RELIGION FOR ................................... INDIAN (1981-91)......... 46 TABLE 2: DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION BY RELIGION, SELECTED STATES KARNATAKA (1991) 47 TABLE 3: DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION BY RELIGION, STATE ........................ BANGALORE (1991) 48 TABLE 4: DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION BY RELIGION, RURAL DISTRICT ....... KARNATAKA (1992-93) 49 TABLE 5: TOTAL FERTILITY RATE AND CHILDREN EVER BORN, ................... CHAPTER 2 RAMANAGARAM (1991).......... 54 TABLE 1: LOCATION OF HOUSEHOLDS IN TALUK AND DISTRIBUTION TABLE 2: BREAKDOWN OF POPULATION IN RAMANAGARAM TALUK BY RELIGION, SEX AND 55 (1991) RESIDENCE ......................................................................................................................... TABLE 3: SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BANGALORE RURAL 66 DISTRICT AND KARNATAKA STATE ................................................................................................ AND DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSEHOLDS, TABLE 4: LOCATION OF VILLAGES, AREA IN HECTARES 69 (1991) RAMANAGARAM TALUK ..................................................................................................... CHAPTER 3 (1996) 75 RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE TABLE 1: RURAL VS. URBAN RESIDENCE, ........................................ (1996) 77 TABLE 2: LANGUAGES SPOKEN, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE ...................................................... INDIA, KARNATAKA, BANGALORE TABLE 3: PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION THAT IS LITERATE IN 78 RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE RURAL DISTRICT AND THE ........................................................................... RAMANAGARAM (1996).. 80 TABLE 4: MEAN LEVEL OF YEARS OF EDUCATION BY RELIGION, SAMPLE RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 81 TABLE 5: PRIMARY OCCUPATIONS OF WOMEN, ............................. RAMANAGARAM (1996) 82 TABLE 6: SECONDARY OF WOMEN, SAMPLE OCCUPATIONS ........................ RAMANAGARAM (1996) 83 TABLE 7: PRIMARY OCCUPATIONS OF HUSBANDS, SAMPLE .......................... RAMANAGARAM (1996) 84 TABLE 8: SECONDARY OCCUPATIONS OF HUSBANDS, SAMPLE ..................... RAMANAGARAM (1996). TABLE 9: MEAN MONTHLY TOTAL EXPENDITURE BY RELIGION, SAMPLE 90 (RUPEES) ......................................................................................................................................... RAMANAGARAM TABLE 10: MEAN MONTHLY PER CAPITA EXPENDITURE BY RELIGION, SAMPLE 90 (1996). (RUPEES) ............................................................................................................................ RAMANAGARAM TABLE 11: OWNERSHIP OF ITEMS OF CONSUMER EQUIPMENT BY RELIGION, 94 (1996) SAMPLE ................................................................................................................................ TABLE 12: CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS BETWEEN DIFFERENT MEASURES OF INCOME, (1996) 97 RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE ................................................................................................... TABLE 13: WOMEN'S AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 99 ............................ TABLE 14: YEARS SINCE FIRST MARRIAGE, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 99 .................................... TABLE 15: DISTRIBUTION OF THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 100 ...... TABLE 16: WOMEN'S DECISION TO USE CONTRACEPTION, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE, (1996) 101 ........ TABLE 17: DISTRIBUTION OF THE DECISION TO USE CONTRACEPTION, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 101 ............................................................................................................................................ TABLE 18: CHILDREN EVER BORN, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 102 ................................................ 104 TABLE 19: DISTRIBUTION RAMANAGARAM (1996) OF CHILDREN EVER BORN, SAMPLE ................. viii CHAPTER 4 TABLE 1: MARITAL RAMANAGARAM (1996) 126 CONSANGUINITY BY RELIGION, SAMPLE ................... TABLE 2: AGE-SPECIFIC KARNATAKA (1998); RAMANAGARAM (1996) 132 FIRST MARRIAGE, ............. TABLE 3: OLS HINDUS ESTIMATES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, (RAMANAGARAM, 1996) 142 ONLY ........................................................................................................... TABLE 4: OLS MUSLIMS ESTIMATES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, (RAMANAGARAM, 1996) 143 ONLY ................................................................................................... TABLE 5: OLS ESTIMATES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, POOLED HINDUS MUSLIMS (RAMANAGARAM, 1996) 144 MODEL OF AND ...................................................... TABLE 6: OLS INTERACTION MODEL OF THE DETERMINANTS OF THE AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE (RAMANAGARAM 1996) 147 SAMPLE, ALL RELIGIONS, ..................................................................... CHAPTER 5 TABLE 1: INFANT MORTALITY BY RELIGION, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 183 ............................... TABLE 2: CHILDREN EVER BORN NET OF INFANT MORTALITY, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996).. 183 TABLE 3: METHOD OF BIRTH CONTROL USED, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 185 ............................. TABLE 4: PERSON(S) INFLUENCING DECISIONS ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL, RAMANAGARAM (1996) 188 SAMPLE ...................................................................................................................................... TABLE 5: INFLUENCE OF FEMALE EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS ON FAMILY RAMANAGARAM (1996) 189 PLANNING, SAMPLE ...................................................................................... TABLE 6: DOES RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996)....... 190 YOUR RELIGION PERMIT CONTRACEPTION? RAMANAGARAM TABLE 7: VIEW REGARDING POSITION OF RELIGION ON BIRTH CONTROL, 191 (1996) SAMPLE ...................................................................................................................................... TABLE 8: FREQUENCY OF VISITS TO FAMILY PLANNING CENTRE/LOCAL HOSPITAL, RAMANAGARAM (1996) 193 SAMPLE ......................................................................................................... TABLE 9: EASE OF OBTAINING CONTRACEPTION, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 194 ........................ TABLE 10: PREFERENCES RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 196 FOR CHILDREN, .................................... RAMANAGARAM (1996) TABLE 11: REASONS FOR DESIRING ANOTHER BOY OR GIRL, SAMPLE 197 ..... TABLE 12: PREFERENCES BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 198 ................ TABLE 13: WHETHER HUSBAND WANTS ANOTHER CHILD, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 200 .......... EVER-MARRIED TABLE 14: Do YOU HAVE A DESIRED/IDEAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN? WOMEN, RAMANAGARAM (1996) 201 SAMPLE ................................................................................................. TABLE 15: IDEAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 202 .................................... TABLE 16: UNWANTED FERTILITY, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 203 ............................................... TABLE 17: WOULD YOU HAVE WANTED FEWER CHILDREN? EVER-MARRIED WOMEN, RAMANAGARAM (1996) 204 SAMPLE ................................................................................................. TABLE 18: REASONS FOR WANTING/NOT WANTING FEWER CHILDREN, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 206 ............................................................................................................................................ TABLE 19: LARGE FAMILIES VIS-A-VIS SMALL FAMILIES, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996)............ 207 TABLE 20: LOGIT MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION OF THE DETERMINANTS OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE (RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE, ALL RELIGIONS, 1996) 214 .............................................................. CHAPTER 6 TABLE 1: SOURCES RAMANAGARAM (1996) OF WATER SUPPLY, SAMPLE 245 ........................................ TABLE 2: WATER RAMANAGARAM COLLECTION IN THE HOUSEHOLD, SAMPLE (1996) 246 .................. TABLE 3: SOURCE RAMANAGARAM (1996) OF FUEL, SAMPLE 248 ........................................................... TABLE 4: COMBINATIONS OF HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS WHO PERFORM FIREWOOD COLLECTION RAMANAGARAM (1996) TASKS, SAMPLE 250 ..................................................................................... TABLE 5: HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION TABLE, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE 255 (1996) ............................. TABLE 6: ROLE OF THE EXTENDED FAMILY IN ASSISTING WITH CHILD-CARE, RAMANAGARAM (1996) SAMPLE 256 .............................................................................................................................. TABLE 7: BREAKDOWN `OTHERS' OF ASSISTING WITH CHILD RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE -CARE, (1996) 256 .................................................................................................................................................... IX TABLE 8: FAITHFULNESS IN PRACTISING RELIGION, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 257 .................... TABLE 9: IMPORTANCE OF THE PRIEST'S OPINION, RAMANAGARAM SAMPLE (1996) 258 ...................... TABLE 10: WOULD YOU ASK ADVICE FROM YOUR PRIEST ABOUT ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE? RAMANAGARAM (1996) 259 SAMPLE ................................................................................................. TABLE 11: FREQUENCY RAMANAGARAM (1996)........ 259 OF VISITS TO PLACES OF WORSHIP, SAMPLE TABLE 12: FREQUENCY RAMANAGARAM OF INTERACTION WITH OTHER RELIGIONS, SAMPLE (1996) 260 .................................................................................................................................................... TABLE 13: NUMBER RAMANAGARAM (1996) 269 OF CHILDREN EVER BORN, SAMPLE ........................... TABLE 14: OLS HINDUS ESTIMATES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN EVER BORN, ONLY (RAMANAGARAM, 1996) 276 .............................................................................................................. TABLE 15: OLS MUSLIMS ESTIMATES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN EVER BORN, ONLY (RAMANAGARAM, 1996) 277 .............................................................................................................. TABLE 16: OLS ESTIMATES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN EVER BORN, POOLED MODEL HINDUS MUSLIMS 278 OF AND ................................................................................................................... TABLE 17: OLS ESTIMATES OF THE DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN EVER BORN, ALL RELIGIONS (RAMANAGARAM, 1996) 281 .............................................................................................................. TABLE 18: WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE GROWTH OF POPULATION IN YOUR TOWN/VILLAGE? RAMANAGARAM (1996) 301 SAMPLE ................................................................................................. X
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