Women's status and role on fertility
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1989
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eng
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xv, 190 leaves.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Achara Navachinda (1989). Women's status and role on fertility. Retrieved from: http://repository.nida.ac.th/handle/662723737/373.
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Women's status and role on fertility
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Abstract
The purpose of the study is to analyze the causes and effects of women's previous status on actual roles, actual roles on actual status, and actual status on fertility by comparing evidence between the rural and up-country urban areas. Data were obtained by field survey in March 1986 from 400 rural and up-country urban households in Nakorn Ratchasima Province.
A linear path analysis was used to examine the direct impact of women's previous status and actual status on fertility and the indirect effects of women's role operating through women's actual status and intermediate fertility variables on fertility. The results from the path analysis revealed that among the determinants of women's roles, the number of children per adult in the family is one of the most important factors, while ascribed status, age, education, and occupation are other factors equally determining women's roles. In the rural areas, the economic roles of women are high when their age increase and when the number of children per adult in the family is low. The rural women's domestic roles are high when they are at a young age but have low ascribed status, when the number of children per adult in the family is high. The social roles of rural women are high among those who married at a young age. In the up-country urban areas, the economic roles of women are high when they work at higher levels than agriculture or other labour-based occupations, and when they have a small number of children per adult in the family. Furthermore, the high domestic roles of up-country urban women are dependent only on the large number of children per adult in the family, while there are no significant factors determining the social roles of the up-country urban women.
The relationship between women's actual status and fertility in the rural areas shows that women with high actual status tend to make the decisions, through their intermediate fertility variables, to have a small family size. While in the up-country urban areas, women with high actual status tend to desire to have a large family size. The various results between the rural and up-country urban women may be caused by the bases of power of women's actual status which are determined by different sources. The rural women's actual status is decided by their domestic and social roles, which are weaker base of power than the economic role that determines the actual status of women in the up-country urban areas. The weaker power-base of actual status causes the rural women to make their decision on the desired family size through the intermediate fertility variables, while the stronger power-base or higher actual status of the up-country urban women makes them so self-confident that they may make direct decisions on the desired family size.
Finally this study proposes a model of women's roles, status on fertility, and a development program. The model comprises an educational or training program and occupational or professional program for women in both rural and up-country urban areas. This program will strengthen women's previous status, such as education, age at marriage, ascribed status, knowledge in family planning, as well as another family variable, namely, the child dependency ratio. The previous status will determine the roles of women, since it has been proved that the economic roles will be a stronger power-base for women's actual status than the domestic or social roles. Thus, women in the program will develop their actual status through their previous status and their roles. Consequently, their actual status will be the base of thier power to make decisions on their desired family size or any matter concerning fertilily-related behavior.
A linear path analysis was used to examine the direct impact of women's previous status and actual status on fertility and the indirect effects of women's role operating through women's actual status and intermediate fertility variables on fertility. The results from the path analysis revealed that among the determinants of women's roles, the number of children per adult in the family is one of the most important factors, while ascribed status, age, education, and occupation are other factors equally determining women's roles. In the rural areas, the economic roles of women are high when their age increase and when the number of children per adult in the family is low. The rural women's domestic roles are high when they are at a young age but have low ascribed status, when the number of children per adult in the family is high. The social roles of rural women are high among those who married at a young age. In the up-country urban areas, the economic roles of women are high when they work at higher levels than agriculture or other labour-based occupations, and when they have a small number of children per adult in the family. Furthermore, the high domestic roles of up-country urban women are dependent only on the large number of children per adult in the family, while there are no significant factors determining the social roles of the up-country urban women.
The relationship between women's actual status and fertility in the rural areas shows that women with high actual status tend to make the decisions, through their intermediate fertility variables, to have a small family size. While in the up-country urban areas, women with high actual status tend to desire to have a large family size. The various results between the rural and up-country urban women may be caused by the bases of power of women's actual status which are determined by different sources. The rural women's actual status is decided by their domestic and social roles, which are weaker base of power than the economic role that determines the actual status of women in the up-country urban areas. The weaker power-base of actual status causes the rural women to make their decision on the desired family size through the intermediate fertility variables, while the stronger power-base or higher actual status of the up-country urban women makes them so self-confident that they may make direct decisions on the desired family size.
Finally this study proposes a model of women's roles, status on fertility, and a development program. The model comprises an educational or training program and occupational or professional program for women in both rural and up-country urban areas. This program will strengthen women's previous status, such as education, age at marriage, ascribed status, knowledge in family planning, as well as another family variable, namely, the child dependency ratio. The previous status will determine the roles of women, since it has been proved that the economic roles will be a stronger power-base for women's actual status than the domestic or social roles. Thus, women in the program will develop their actual status through their previous status and their roles. Consequently, their actual status will be the base of thier power to make decisions on their desired family size or any matter concerning fertilily-related behavior.
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Thesis (Ph.D. (Population and Development))--National Institute of Development Administration, 1989.