1.  Peer Reviewed Title: Demography, culture, and policy: Understanding Japan's low fertility. Author: Boling P Source: Population and Development Review. 2008 Jun;34(2):307-326. Abstract: Insights into the causes of Japan's prolonged and sharp fall in total fertility rate come from comparing Japan with France. The two countries share dirigiste administrative approaches, family policy reform undertaken under the auspices of pragmatic right wing parties and justified on pronatalist grounds, and involvement of demographic experts in crafting and shepherding such policies. But the countries differ with respect to their total fertility rates (France 1.98, Japan 1.29) and the effectiveness of their family policies. Thus comparing them can help identify areas of divergence that might explain these differences and assist in the project of theory building. Several salient explanations are rooted in Japan's labor market: it exacts high opportunity costs from parents who interrupt their careers to raise children, keeps ideal workers from having much time for their families, assumes and reinforces a traditional gender ideology, and hires few young workers into good jobs. (author's) Language: English Keywords: JAPAN | FRANCE | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | FERTILITY DECLINE | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | FAMILY POLICY | POPULATION POLICY | TOTAL FERTILITY RATE | LABOR FORCE | GENDER ISSUES | PRONATALIST POLICY | POLITICAL SYSTEMS | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | CHILD CARE | FEMALE ROLE | Asia, Eastern | Asia | Developed Countries | Europe, Western | Europe | Studies | Research Methodology | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Rate | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior | Social Behavior Document Number: 327375 |
| 2. Title: Fertility concern in Finland and Russia: Economic thinking and ideal family size in the rhetoric of population polices. Author: Isola AM Source: Finnish Yearbook of Population Research. 2008;43:63-84. Abstract: This article deals with fertility concern in Russian and Finnish population policies. The article points out that some commonly known discourses are persistently used as arguments in fertility-related population policies. In Finland, these include, for instance, discourses on "ageing nation" and "economic competitiveness". Russian policymakers use a "crisis discourse" that consists of three sub-discourses: "demographic crisis", "reproductive health in crisis" and "family crisis". The Russian government implements pronatalist population policies, whereas Finnish authorities hesitate to use the term "population policy" because of its emphasis on reproductive rights on the one hand, and the negative associations of population policy on the other. Russia has both population and family programs, as well as a new law with a specifically pronatalist emphasis. Conversely, Finland uses family policy as a tool of population policy. (author's) Language: English Keywords: FINLAND | RUSSIA | RESEARCH REPORT | CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS | POPULATION | FAMILY SIZE, IDEAL | HOME ECONOMICS | POPULATION POLICY | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | PUBLIC OPINION | PERCEPTION | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | PRONATALIST POLICY | REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | Developed Countries | Europe, Northern | Europe | Asia, Northern | Asia | Developing Countries | Comparative Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Family Size | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Microeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Family Planning | Attitudes | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Health | Human Rights Document Number: 326069 |
3.  Peer Reviewed Title: Russian Federation: From the first to second demographic transition. Author: Zakharov S Source: Demographic Research. 2008 Jul 1;19(24):907-972. Abstract: The demographic transition in Russia was accelerated by several social cataclysms during the "Soviet type" modernization. Frequent changes in the timing of births and marriages engendered a mass "abortion culture". Contraceptive devices of poor quality were produced on a limited scale. The Soviet regime promulgated pronatalism and considered contraception to contradict this ideology. There have been two waves of government policy interventions. In the 1930s and 1940s restrictive and propaganda measures prevailed. These failed to yield serious effects. In the 1980s, policies aimed at lessening the tension between full-time employment and maternal roles. These generated shifts in birth timing, namely shorter birth intervals and earlier second and third births, however increase in completed cohort fertility was minimal. A third wave started in 2007. Preoccupied with continuous depopulation, authorities intend to boost births by substantially increasing benefits. The mid-1990s was a turning point in the change of fertility and nuptiality models. The 1970s birth cohorts marry and become parents later. They delay first and second births and increasingly begin partnerships with cohabitation. Contraception is replacing abortion. New attitudes and perceptions about family, partnership, childbearing, and family planning are emerging. A major transformation typical for developed countries, the Second Demographic Transition, is underway. Nevertheless, many neo-traditional features of fertility and nuptiality remain. These distinguish Russia from most European countries and will persist in the near future. Completed fertility, however, hardly differs from the average European level. (author's) Language: English Keywords: RUSSIA | RESEARCH REPORT | HISTORICAL REVIEW | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | SOCIAL CHANGE | FAMILY POLICY | POPULATION POLICY | PRONATALIST POLICY | DELAYED CHILDBEARING | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | FERTILITY INCENTIVES | ABORTION | CONSENSUAL UNION | FAMILY SIZE, DESIRED | FAMILY SIZE, IDEAL | Asia, Northern | Asia | Developing Countries | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Sociocultural Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Contraception | Family Planning | Fertility Control, Postconception | Nuptiality | Family Size | Family Characteristics | Family and Household Document Number: 327672 Notification |
| 4. Title: Emergence of the family planning program in Turkey. Author: Akin A Source: In: The global family planning revolution: three decades of population policies and programs, edited by Warren C. Robinson and John A. Ross. Washington, D.C., World Bank, 2007. :85-102. Abstract: Turkey, a Middle Eastern country covering some 770,000 square kilometers, lies in both Asia and Europe. It has more than 70 million people, nearly all of them (98 percent) Muslim. Between 1927 and 2000, population growth was rapid and the population grew fivefold, though the rate of growth varied from a low of 1.06 percent per year in 1940-45 to a high of 2.85 percent per year in 1955-60. By 1990-2000, however, the rate was 1.83 percent per year. A comparison of population pyramids for 1955 and 2000 shows a remarkable shift in structure from one reflecting rapid growth at the base to one in which each cohort below the age of 15 is smaller than the one above. Indeed, the 2000 pyramid is similar in shape to those of many developed countries. During the same period, average household size declined from 5.7 to 4.5, a 21 percent reduction. Not surprisingly, the proportion of the population living in urban areas rose steeply between 1950 and 2000, from 25 to 65 percent of the total population. Literacy rose for both sexes. In 1935, it was 30 percent for males and 10 percent for females, but according to the 2000 census, by that time it had reached a remarkable 94 percent for males and 81 percent for females. Thus, profound demographic and social changes have taken place in Turkey in recent years. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: TURKEY | HISTORICAL REVIEW | CASE STUDIES | POLICYMAKERS | FAMILY PLANNING PERSONNEL | GOVERNMENT | FAMILY PLANNING | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | POLICY DEVELOPMENT | FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS | FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM EVALUATION | PRONATALIST POLICY | ANTINATALIST POLICY | LEGISLATION | POPULATION POLICY | Europe, Southeastern | Europe | Developing Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Planning Document Number: 321941 |
| 5. Title: History, population policies, and fertility decline in Eastern Europe: A case study. Author: Bradatan C; Firebaugh G Source: Journal of Family History. 2007 Apr;32(2):179-192. Abstract: Why does Eastern Europe have the lowest fertility in the world? Most explanations focus on the consequences of upheaval in that region during the 1990s. These so-called "transition" explanations miss a major part of the story. For the Romanian case, we show that the decline in fertility over the 1990s represents the continuation of a longstanding trend that was only interrupted by the extremely efficient pro-natalist policies inaugurated in the 1960s. We conclude that the conventional transition explanations of the 1990s fertility decline in Eastern Europe are incomplete because they fail to give due weight to the effect of population policies. (author's) Language: English Keywords: EUROPE, EASTERN | ROMANIA | RESEARCH REPORT | CASE STUDIES | POPULATION | POPULATION POLICY | FERTILITY DECLINE | PRONATALIST POLICY | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | ABORTION | Developing Countries | Europe | Europe, Southeastern | Studies | Research Methodology | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning Document Number: 322500 Notification |
| 6. Title: The supply of birth control methods, education and fertility: evidence from Romania. Author: Pop-Eleches C Source: [Unpublished] 2007. Presented at the Population Association of America 2007 Annual Meeting, New York, New York, March 29-31, 2007. [53] p. Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of the supply of birth control methods on fertility behavior by exploring the effects of Romania's 23-year period of continued pronatalist policies. Between 1957 and 1966 Romania had a very liberal abortion policy, and abortion was the main method of contraception. In 1966, the Romanian government abruptly made abortion and family planning illegal. This policy was sustained until December 1989 with only minor modifications. The implementation and repeal of the restrictive regime provide a useful and plausibly exogenous source of variation in the cost of birth control methods that is arguably orthogonal to the demand for children. Women who spent most of their reproductive years under the restrictive regime experienced large increases in fertility (about 0.5 children or a 25% increase). Less educated women had bigger increases in fertility after policy implementation and larger fertility decreases following the lifting of restrictions in 1989, when fertility differentials between educational groups decreased by almost fifty percent. These findings strongly suggest that access to abortion and birth control are quantitatively significant determinants of fertility levels, particularly for less educated women. (author's) Language: English Keywords: ROMANIA | RESEARCH REPORT | LONGITUDINAL STUDIES | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | CONTRACEPTIVE AVAILABILITY | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | PRONATALIST POLICY | ABORTION | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | LEGISLATION | ABORTION LAW | PRICING | FERTILITY CHANGES | Europe, Southeastern | Europe | Developing Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Contraception | Family Planning | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Control, Postconception | Marketing Document Number: 317848 Notification |
| 7. Title: The family planning program in peninsular Malaysia. Author: Tey NP Source: In: The global family planning revolution: three decades of population policies and programs, edited by Warren C. Robinson and John A. Ross. Washington, D.C., World Bank, 2007. :257-276. Abstract: This chapter focuses on Peninsular Malaysia, because the National Family Planning Program only began to operate in Sabah and Sarawak in 2003, although a family planning association (FPA) was set up in 1963 in Sarawak and in 1967 in Sabah. The discussion is centered on the early stages of the program, as family planning has been de-emphasized since 1984. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: MALAYSIA | CASE STUDIES | HISTORICAL REVIEW | FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS | FERTILITY DECLINE | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | DEVELOPMENT PLANS | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | HEALTH AND WELFARE PLANNING | INTEGRATED PROGRAMS | ISLAM | PRONATALIST POLICY | IMPACT | IEC | CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE | Developing Countries | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Studies | Research Methodology | Family Planning | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Social Planning | Economic Factors | Religion | Communication | Program Activities | Contraceptive Usage | Contraception Document Number: 321991 |
| 8. Title: Singapore: population policies and programs. Author: Yap Mui Teng Source: In: The global family planning revolution: three decades of population policies and programs, edited by Warren C. Robinson and John A. Ross. Washington, D.C., World Bank, 2007. :201-219. Abstract: Concerns since the mid-1980s have included issues of the growth of the labor force, the vibrancy of the work-force, and the country's ability to sustain economic growth in the face of persistent below-replacement-level fertility and population aging. A larger population is now considered desirable to provide the critical mass for future economic growth. Planners consider the constraint of geographic size to be less critical than in the past, because they believe that the country can comfortably accommodate a much larger population of more than 5 million people, compared with the 3 million thought desirable earlier. Cheung, however, cautions against too rapid population growth to reach the larger population size, citing the momentum generated by pro-natalist population policies and the difficulty of reversing them . Population planning has become a much more complex balancing act between the economy's needs for more and better qualified workers and such social and political considerations as the size of the dependent population and ethnic balance. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: SINGAPORE | CASE STUDIES | HISTORICAL REVIEW | POPULATION POLICY | FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | IEC | ANTINATALIST POLICY | PRONATALIST POLICY | BELOW REPLACEMENT FERTILITY | INCENTIVES | DISINCENTIVES | FERTILITY DECLINE | FUNDS | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Developed Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Family Planning | Programs | Organization and Administration | Program Activities | Population Decrease | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Financial Activities | Economic Factors Document Number: 321948 |
| 9. Peer Reviewed Title: Policies to reconcile labor force participation and childbearing in the European union. Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Jun;32(2):389-393. Abstract: A recently published report commissioned by the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission reviews "reconciliation" policies in 30 European countries. Such policies are defined by the report in its title as measures that foster "reconciliation of work and private life" or, more elaborately in the body of the report, as "policies that directly support the combination of professional, family and private life." In this context work means gainful employment, while private life in effect means childbearing. The countries covered are those of the EU 25, two candidate countries (Bulgaria and Romania), and three countries that are part of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein). The report, not formally endorsed by the Commission, was prepared by the EU Expert Group on Gender, Social Inclusion and Employment. Each of the 30 countries was represented by at least one expert. The 96-page report identifies four types of reconciliation policies: childcare services, leave facilities, flexible working-time arrangements, and financial allowances. Descriptions of these policies from the Executive Summary are reproduced below. Although the report makes passing reference to below-replacement fertility in the EU member countries, its focus is clearly directed to measures that could increase the rate of employment, especially female employment. According to the EU's "Lisbon targets" set in 2000, the female employment rate in the EU should be raised to 60 percent of the working-age population by 2010. Based on data for 2003, only eight EU countries have met or exceeded this target. Childbearing is seen as in part responsible for the shortfall. Reconciliation policies could make the Lisbon target for female employment more easily achievable and "especially stimulate full time participation." Furthermore, the report suggests, such policies, as a byproduct, could also enhance fertility. Financial allowances, paid directly to families with children, the fourth type of policy discussed by the report, include measures reminiscent of the main thrust of the newly announced proposals for increasing fertility in Russia (see the preceding Documents item in this issue). The report, however, makes no reference to differentiation by parity, a distinctive mark of pronatalist intent. Indeed, it specifies that "family-based tax concessions and family allowances are not part of the reconciliation policy per se," noting, with an apparent element of disapproval, that such provisions "are often based on (and may reinforce the notion of) a traditional breadwinner model by reducing the incentive to work for both spouses." (author's) Language: English Keywords: EUROPEAN UNION | PROGRESS REPORT | EVALUATION | LABOR FORCE | WOMEN | POPULATION | EMPLOYMENT | WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT | CHILD CARE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PRONATALIST POLICY | FAMILY POLICY | FERTILITY INCENTIVES | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Demographic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Women's Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior | Social Policy | Policy | Population Policy Document Number: 310800 |
| 10. Peer Reviewed Title: Vladimar Putin on raising Russia's birth rate. Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Jun;32(2):385-389. Abstract: The total fertility rate in what is now the Russian Federation has been below replacement level during much of the last 40 years. By the late 1990s it was barely above 1.2 children per woman. There may have been some recovery since: the United Nations estimate for 2000-05 is 1.33. Other reports set the 2004 rate at 1.17. Countries elsewhere in Europe have fertility levels that are equally low or even lower, but the Russian demographic predicament is aggravated by mortality that is exceptionally high by modern standards. Thus, despite large-scale net immigration (mostly due to return of ethnic Russians from other republics of the former Soviet Union), the population in the last decade-and-a-half has been shrinking: of late by some 700,000 persons per year. The United Nations medium estimate assumes a steady recovery of the total fertility rate to reach a level of 1.85 by 2050 and a considerable improvement in survival rates during that period--notably an increase in male life expectancy at birth of more than ten years. It also assumes further modest net immigration at a steady rate, amounting to a total of somewhat over 2 million by midcentury. Under these stipulations the projected population of Russia in 2050 would be 112 million--some 31 million below its present size. By that time, 23 percent of the population would be aged 65 and older. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: RUSSIA | PROGRESS REPORT | RECOMMENDATIONS | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | BIRTH RATE | BELOW REPLACEMENT FERTILITY | MICROECONOMIC FACTORS | POPULATION DYNAMICS | POPULATION DECREASE | FAMILY ALLOWANCES | PRONATALIST POLICY | FAMILY POLICY | Asia, Northern | Asia | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Fertility | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Measurements | Economic Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Population Policy Document Number: 310799 |
| 11. Peer Reviewed Title: Wilhelm Roscher on means of promoting population increase. Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Sep;32(3):567-572. Abstract: The following are the principal means which have been used to artificially promote the increase of population: A. Making marriage and the procreation of children obligatory by direct command. Among almost all medieval nations so strong is the family feeling, that it seems to men to be a sacred duty to keep their family from becoming extinct. Where a person is not in a condition physically to fulfill this duty, the law supplies a means of accomplishing it by juridical substitution at least. Most national religions operate in the same direction, as well as the influence of political law-givers, who fully share in the contempt for willful old bachelors and sterile women, which runs through the national feeling of all medieval times. In addition to this, there are the positive rewards offered for large families of children. Even Colbert, in 1666, decreed that whoever married before his 20th year should be exempt from taxation until his 25th; that anyone who had 10 legitimate children living, not priests, should be exempt from taxation for all time; that a nobleman having 10 children living should receive a pension of 1,000 livres, and one having 12, 2,000 livres. Persons not belonging to the nobility were to receive one-half of this, and to be released from all municipal burthens. Such premiums are, indeed, entirely superfluous. No nobleman would desire 12 children simply to obtain a pension of 2,000 livres! Colbert himself abandoned this system of premiums shortly before his death. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPED COUNTRIES | CRITIQUE | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | IMMIGRANTS | EMIGRANTS | POPULATION GROWTH | MACROECONOMIC FACTORS | PRONATALIST POLICY | MARRIAGE PATTERNS | MIGRATION POLICY | POPULATION POLICY | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Migrants | Migration | Economic Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Marriage | Nuptiality Document Number: 310805 |
| 12. Title: Is Europe trapped in / by low fertility? The "low fertility trap". Author: Botev N Source: Entre Nous. 2006;(3):4-7. Abstract: Birth rates throughout Europe have declined to very low levels - currently the majority of countries have total fertility rates (TFR) below 1.5 children per woman. Several recent studies have suggested that this level might be a threshold that triggers self-reinforcing mechanisms, which tend to further suppress fertility. Hence, once TFR falls below 1.5, bringing it back up will be more difficult. Lutz termed this the "low fertility trap". Most countries of Southern, Central and Eastern Europe, including the European parts of the former Soviet Union, seem to have fallen in this "trap". (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: EUROPE | CRITIQUE | BIRTH RATE | FERTILITY DECLINE | DELAYED CHILDBEARING | TOTAL FERTILITY RATE | NULLIPARITY | INFERTILITY | SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES | PRONATALIST POLICY | Developed Countries | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility Rate | Parity | Reproduction | Reproductive Tract Infections | Infections | Diseases | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors Document Number: 308116 |
| 13. Title: Human rights considerations in addressing low fertility. Author: Gauthier J Source: Entre Nous. 2006;(63):8-9. Abstract: Concern about falling fertility rates, in particular where fertility rates are below replacement levels, has often led governments to implement, or to consider implementing, pronatalist policies. This paper will briefly examine a situation where pronatalist policies were implemented and comment on the effectiveness and human rights implications of such policies.... International consensus agreements, such as the Programme of Action adopted by 179 governments at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and the five and ten year reviews, the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (Beijing Conference), and the five and ten year reviews, go beyond traditional family planning and are grounded in a human rights and reproductive rights based approach to issues of population. These agreements embrace the necessity of securing women's rights and equality and involving women in the formulation of laws and policies relating to population and development. These are essential principles to be followed by governments in both the development and implementation of fertility policies. Policies should clearly articulate references to principles of human rights, including free and informed choice, nondiscrimination, equal access to reproductive health care and women's rights. Policies should also include an explicit provision covering non-discrimination for minority or indigenous populations. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: ROMANIA | RUSSIA | CRITIQUE | FERTILITY DECLINE | HUMAN RIGHTS | FERTILITY RATE | PRONATALIST POLICY | ABORTION | MATERNAL MORTALITY | REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | Developing Countries | Europe, Southeastern | Europe | Asia, Northern | Asia | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Mortality Document Number: 308117 Notification |
| 14. Peer Reviewed Title: Health sector reform and sexual and reproductive health services in Mongolia. Author: Hill PS; Dodd R; Dashdorj K Source: Reproductive Health Matters. 2006 May;14(27):91-100. Abstract: Since its transition to democracy, Mongolia has undergone a series of reforms, both at the national level and in the health sector. This paper examines the pace and scope of these reforms, the ways in which they have impacted on sexual and reproductive health services and their implications for the health workforce. Formerly pro-natalist, Mongolia has made significant advances in contraceptive use, women's education and reductions in maternal mortality. However, rising adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and persisting high levels of abortion, remain challenges. The implementation of the National Reproductive Health Programme has targeted skills development, outreach and the provision of resources. Innovative adolescent-friendly health services have engaged urban youth, and the development of family group practices has created incentives to provide primary medical care for marginalised communities, including sexual and reproductive health services. The Health Sector Strategic Masterplan offers a platform for coordinated development in health, but is threatened by a lack of consensus in both government and donor communities, competing health priorities and the politicisation of emerging debates on fertility and abortion. With previous gains in sexual and reproductive health vulnerable to political change, these tensions risk the exacerbation of existing disparities and the development by default of a two-tiered health care system. (author's) Language: English Keywords: MONGOLIA | EVALUATION REPORT | EVALUATION | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE PREVENTION | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | MATERNAL MORTALITY | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | PROGRAM EVALUATION | ADOLESCENT HEALTH SERVICES | ABORTION RATE | POLITICAL FACTORS | PRONATALIST POLICY | Asia, Northern | Asia | Developing Countries | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Health | Sexually Transmitted Diseases | Reproductive Tract Infections | Infections | Diseases | Contraception | Family Planning | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Programs | Organization and Administration | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Fertility Control, Postconception | Sociocultural Factors | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy Document Number: 304718 Notification |
| 15. Peer Reviewed Title: Low fertility and the state: The efficacy of policy. Author: McDonald P Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Sep;32(3):485-510. Abstract: Some 30 countries today have fertility rates below 1.5 births per woman. The governments of each of these countries have reported to the United Nations that they consider this rate to be "too low" (United Nations 2004). When fertility is moderately below replacement level, the size of subsequent generations falls only slowly and, if considered necessary, there is an opportunity to supplement the generation size with migration. When fertility remains very low, however, the generation size falls rapidly and massive migration would be required to offset the decline (United Nations 2000). Hence, we can think in terms of a "safety zone" for low fertility. Population dynamics tends to confirm the view of governments that the "safety zone" lies above 1.5 births per woman. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPED COUNTRIES | CRITIQUE | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | POLICYMAKERS | LABOR FORCE | BELOW REPLACEMENT FERTILITY | POPULATION POLICY | CULTURE | PRONATALIST POLICY | MACROECONOMIC FACTORS | INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | LIBERALISM | GENDER ISSUES | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Population Decrease | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Migration Document Number: 310803 |
| 16. Peer Reviewed Title: Birth prevention in the American and French fertility transitions: contrasts in knowledge and practice. Author: Van de Walle E; De Luca V Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Sep;32(3):529-555. Abstract: The fertility transition began earlier in France and the United States than in other Western countries. It occurred earlier in France than in the United States, and from lower levels largely because of France's later age at marriage. France appears to have experienced a continuous decline from a level of 5.0 children per woman in the first decade of the nineteenth century to 3.2 in 1901.1 In the United States, marital fertility scarcely declined before 1840, when the total fertility rate of the white population was estimated at 6.6 children per woman. By 1900, total fertility had dropped to 3.6. The population of the United States numbered 5 million at the beginning of the period and 75 million at the end. It was growing through the steady inflow of high-fertility migrants and was moving out of the Atlantic coastal region where the birth rate was much lower than elsewhere in the country. The French population, in contrast, grew only slightly during the nineteenth century, and remained in the 30 million range. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: FRANCE | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | HISTORICAL REVIEW | CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | POPULATION | CONTRACEPTION | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | HISTORICAL DEMOGRAPHY | MARRIAGE PATTERNS | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | PRONATALIST POLICY | MALTHUSIANISM | Developed Countries | Europe, Western | Europe | North America | Americas | Comparative Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Family Planning | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Demography | Social Sciences | Science | Sociocultural Factors | Marriage | Nuptiality | Fertility | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Population Theory Document Number: 310804 |
| 17. Title: Senegal case study: promising beginnings, uneven progress. A repositioning family planning case study. Author: Wickstrom J; Diagne A; Smith A Source: New York, New York, EngenderHealth, ACQUIRE Project, 2006 Dec. [39] p. (ACQUIRE Evaluation and Research StudiesACQUIRE ReportRepositioning Family Planning Case StudyUSAID Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-03-00006-00) Abstract: Family planning saves lives and has long been considered a key aspect to socioeconomic development. Although this is widely acknowledged and well-documented, the attention and resources directed toward improving family planning programs in developing countries have been decreasing, even though need remains high. This is particularly true for Sub-Saharan Africa; for the region as a whole, only 14% of women are using modern methods of contraception (PRB, 2005). To address this need, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has identified Repositioning Family Planning as a priority for its work in Africa. To guide future investments, USAID supported five country-specific case studies to identify strategies and lessons learned that have contributed to or detracted from family planning in the region. Together, the case studies are being used by USAID to guide the strategy development for Repositioning Family Planning and to inform efforts to identify key investments in the region. Senegal has a reputation of leadership in Francophone West Africa, based on its successful democratic transition, the low level of economic corruption, and the success of its economic reforms. In health care, Senegal is a strong proponent of international treaties and approaches and has a long history of community participation in health. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: SENEGAL | RESEARCH REPORT | CASE STUDIES | FOCUS GROUPS | KAP SURVEYS | POLICYMAKERS | HEALTH PERSONNEL | FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM EVALUATION | USAID | PRONATALIST POLICY | FOREIGN AID | DECENTRALIZATION | INTEGRATED PROGRAMS | LEADERSHIP | CONTRACEPTIVE AVAILABILITY | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Studies | Research Methodology | Data Collection | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Family Planning Programs | Family Planning | Government Agencies | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Programs | Contraception Document Number: 315782 |
| 18. Title: Restoring the notion of family in France: Pronatalist and pro-family propaganda in schools and army barracks (1920 - 1940). Author: De Luca V Source: Population-E. 2005 Jan-Apr;60(1-2):11-36. Abstract: Concern for demographic issues is a well-established French trait. Witness, for example, the interest of today's French public in annual changes infertility and mortality levels, which is unique in Europe. This awareness is linked not only to the demographic history of France, characterized by the early onset of the demographic transition, but also to the ideological influence of the pronatalist and pro-family movement which was very active in the interwar period. In this article, Virginie DE LUCA examines the approach and content of pronatalist and pro-family propaganda between 1920 and 1940 in France. Its methods and goals fall into two categories. On the one hand, the aim is to create a climate favourable to the family and high fertility among school students by introducing elements pertaining to family values in all the disciplines taught. On the other hand, a more technical approach, focusing more on geography and history, aims to present descriptive tools of the population and the nation, such as the age distribution, to students. This first introduction to demography was thus designed to give moral and statistical content to the question. (author's) Language: English Keywords: FRANCE | RESEARCH REPORT | POPULATION | FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD | PRONATALIST POLICY | PROPAGANDA | PRIMARY SCHOOLS | EDUCATION | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | AGE DISTRIBUTION | DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS | Europe, Western | Europe | Developed Countries | Sociocultural Factors | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Communication | Schools | Population Dynamics | Age Factors | Population Characteristics Document Number: 308569 |
| 19. Title: [The fertility decline and the policy measures against its trend in Taiwan] Author: Ito S Source: Journal of Population Problems / Jinko Mondai Kenkyu. 2005;61(2):40-62. Abstract: The population of Taiwan was about 6.5 million in 1947 and has increased and became over 22.5 millions in 2003. On the other hand, its natural rate of increase was over 35 in the first half of 1950s and continued to decrease. The total fertility rate per woman was 4.81 in 1966, 3.08 in 1976, 1.68 in 1986, 1.47 in 1998, 1.34 in 2002, and, finally, declined to be 1.18 in 2004. The other various measures of fertility rate indicate the clear declining trend of fertility rate in Taiwan. These changes in population in Taiwan made the government consider the declining trend of total fertility rate as one of the most important issues in Taiwan. The share of going on to university in female of the same age has rapidly expanded since the middle of 1990s, and the average age of first marriage for female has been getting higher and higher in Taiwan in the same period. The female age of her first birth is closely related with the age of her first marriage. The female age of her first marriage is considered to be one of the most important factors causing the declining trend of total fertility rate in Taiwan. The average births by educational level show that the higher the female educational level attained by them is, the lower their average births is, and that the female average births have kept on declining for each educational level. Based on the fertility decline in Taiwan, in addition to the population policies such as campaigning 'marriage and giving birth at a proper age' and 'two children are just good', Executive Yuan, Republic of China has implemented policies such as reducing the housing cost for a young couple, increasing the number of preschools, reducing the child care costs and has made efforts to promote the marriages and births among young couples. Following' 2005 Administrative Targets and Emphasis of the Ministry of Interior, Republic of China', the government implemented the policies such as medical subsidy for children with three years old and younger, increasing nursery school teachers for improving child care services, and supporting young couple to purchase their housing by housing loan with a low interest rate. (author's) Language: Japanese Keywords: TAIWAN | RESEARCH REPORT | POPULATION STATISTICS | POPULATION | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | FERTILITY DECLINE | FERTILITY RATE | FIRST BIRTH | MATERNAL AGE | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | MARRIAGE AGE | CAMPAIGNS | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | PRONATALIST POLICY | Asia, Eastern | Asia | Developed Countries | Research Methodology | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Pregnancy History | Parental Age | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Marriage Patterns | Marriage | Nuptiality | Communication Programs | Communication | Family Planning | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors Document Number: 293762 |
| 20. Title: Maternity and freedom: Australian feminist encounters with the reproductive body. Author: Kevin C Source: Australian Feminist Studies. 2005 Mar;20(46):3-15. Abstract: On 15-16 December 2001, the opinion page of the Sydney Morning Herald featured a large cartoon by Ward O'Neill depicting Prime Minister John Howard pushing a pram packed with seven small white children. On the side and front of the pram appeared the inscriptions "The Liberals, Pregnant with Promise' and 'Father of the Nation', while flower beds surrounding it displayed the signs 'Policy with testosterone' and 'Finely crafted social and fiscal policy leading to successful procreation'. One child held up a carrot, signaling the government's efforts to tempt women to give birth for the nation. This cartoon was produced in the wake of an election won by the Liberal-National Party Coalition in the context of fierce debates about Tampa and war against the al Qaeda network and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Western leaders wasted no time in conjuring up the Muslim, Arab Other and in Australia this only further exacerbated a fearful consciousness of borders and the possibility of the Other's 100 dominant presence on Australian soil. The pronatalism being pilloried in O'Neill's cartoon can be read in conjunction with Howard's responses to asylum seekers as representing the federal government's anxiety about the decline, in proportion to other subpopulations, of the white population in Australia. The image of the Prime Minister is striking for its evocation of the plethora of cartoons produced in and around 1901 showing Sir Henry Parkes, proclaimed father of federation, and Sir Edmund Barton, Australia's first Prime Minister, wearing mob caps, dresses and aprons and pushing the pram of, or nursing, the infant human body of the newly federated Australia. The policies that O'Neill's cartoon makes reference to indicate that the pronatalism so obviously present in the political rhetoric of federation, and the post-First World War and post-Second World War calls for repopulation, resurfaced in state discourses of pregnancy and motherhood at the turn into the twenty-first century. His cartoon also attests to the fact that this rhetoric was not without its critics. However, despite the feminist movement's compelling, and in many ways effective, public critiques of this return to maternal citizenship, women's bodies continue to be produced as both obstacles to, and insurers of, the future of the nation. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: AUSTRALIA | CRITIQUE | THEORETICAL MODELS | WOMEN | FEMINISM | PRONATALIST POLICY | ABORTION LAW | PREGNANCY | Developed Countries | Oceania | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population | Sociocultural Factors | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Reproduction Document Number: 298648 Notification |
| 21. Title: [Low fertility and policy responses in Asian NIEs: an introduction focusing on the review of possible policy effects] Author: Kojima H Source: Journal of Population Problems / Jinko Mondai Kenkyu. 2005;61(2):1-22. Abstract: This article is an introduction to the special feature, together with two other articles on Korea and Taiwan, of the research project on "Comparative Study of Low Fertility and Policy Responses in Asian NIEs (PI: Hiroshi KOJIMA)" which has been conducted by a FY2002-2004 Policy-Science Research Grant from the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. It first describes the trends in fertility and family policies in Asian NIEs including the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei, Singapore and Hong Kong SAR, China. Secondly, it reviews studies assessing the possible pronatalist effects of family policies in Asian NIEs and presents an empirical analysis on the possible pronatalist effects of "New Economic Policy (NEP)" and "New Population Policy (NPP)" in Malaysia. Thirdly, it reviews multivariate analyses on possible pronatal effects of family policies in developed societies. Finally, it attempts to obtain policy implications for Japan and Asian NIEs. (author's) Language: Japanese Keywords: ASIA | RESEARCH REPORT | MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS | CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | PRONATALIST POLICY | ECONOMIC POLICY | DEVELOPMENT POLICY | Developing Countries | Data Analysis | Research Methodology | Comparative Studies | Studies | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Planning | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors Document Number: 293770 |
| 22. Peer Reviewed Title: Policies addressing the tempo effect in low-fertility countries. Author: Lutz W; Skirbekk V Source: Population and Development Review. 2005 Dec;31(4):699-720. Abstract: In this article, we focus solely on the fertility component and particularly on possible policies that are aimed at affecting the tempo of fertility, that is, the timing of births over women’s life cycle. The tempo effect depresses the level of period fertility and hence lowers the number of births in a calendar year as long as the mean age of childbearing increases. Such policies may be particularly relevant if some sort of “low-fertility trap” exists as we discuss below. We summarize the demographic rationale for policies aimed at influencing the tempo of fertility, review evidence about how the timing of graduation from school affects the timing of fertility, and finally present some calculations about how hypothetical changes in the tempo of fertility induced by school reforms would influence the future paths of population aging in Austria, Bavaria, and Italy. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: EUROPE | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | POPULATION POLICY | PRONATALIST POLICY | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | TOTAL FERTILITY RATE | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | POPULATION DYNAMICS | Developed Countries | Fertility | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Rate | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 300363 |
| 23. Title: Embodying memory; women and the legacy of the military government in Chile. [Encarnar la memoria: las mujeres y el legado del gobierno militar en Chile] Author: Moenne ME Source: Feminist Review. 2005;79:150-161. Abstract: The article argues that the prohibition of abortion in Chile, other than when the mother’s life is in danger, is a form of human rights violation targeting women specifically. The Pro-Birth Policy was established in Pinochet’s Chile as a response to the previous government’s attempts, under Allende, to encourage family planning and to educate and inform women about their choices. This had been done to put an end to the increase in back-street abortions with the inevitable toll on women’s lives. Pinochet’s regime reversed these women- oriented family planning policies, and criminalized abortion, on the basis of costs to the state and, more importantly, the need to increase the birth rate for reasons of national security. Women’s bodies were used by the Pinochet regime, both by sexual violence and torture, and by the denial of women’s reproductive and sexual rights, as a means to impose discipline and order on society. The fact that this is still not acknowledged in the construction of a collective memory indicates that the issue has not yet been resolved in democratic Chile. (author's) Spanish Abstract: El artículo sostiene que la prohibición del aborto en Chile en los casos en que la madre no corre peligro es una forma de violación de los derechos humanos que afecta directamente a las mujeres. En el Chile de Pinochet se estableció la política de promoción de la natalidad en respuesta a los intentos del depuesto gobierno de Allende de alentar la planificación familiar y educar e informar a las mujeres sobre sus opciones. De este modo el gobierno de Allende pretendía poner freno al aumento de abortos clandestinos con su inevitable saldo de muertes de mujeres. El régimen de Pinochet revirtió estas políticas de planificación familiar orientadas a la mujer y criminalizó el aborto sobre la base de los costos para el estado y, lo más importante, de la necesidad de aumentar la tasa de natalidad por razones de seguridad nacional. El gobierno de Pinochet se apropió de los cuerpos de las mujeres, tanto por la violencia sexual y la tortura como por la negación de sus derechos reproductivos y sexuales, como medio de imponer disciplina y orden a la sociedad. La falta de reconocimiento de este hecho en la construcción de una memoria colectiva indica que la democracia chilena aún no ha resuelto este problema. (del autor) Language: English Keywords: CHILE | CRITIQUE | HISTORICAL REVIEW | WOMEN | ABORTION | ABORTION LAW | HUMAN RIGHTS | WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT | POLITICAL FACTORS | PRONATALIST POLICY | South America, Southern | South America | Latin America | Americas | Developing Countries | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Women's Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy Document Number: 291683 Notification |
| 24. Title: Population aging and policy options for a sustainable future: the case of Japan. Author: Ogawa N Source: Genus. 2005 Jul-Dec;62(3-4):369-410. Abstract: This paper discusses the feasibility of several policy options available to Japan in coping with formidable challenges being posed by its extremely fast population aging. Prior to discussing these policies, we highlight in the next section some of the key features of Japan's demographic dynamics observed in the postwar period and those expected to occur in the first quarter of the 21st century. The ensuing section briefly describes some vital dimensions of Japan's socioeconomic system that have already been substantially affected by such rapid population aging and are likely to affect the welfare of the elderly in the foreseeable future. The scope of this paper is confined largely to the Japanese context. Nonetheless, Japanese experiences of population aging and policy responses seem to be useful in serving as a baseline for discussing important policy issues related to population aging in Europe and elsewhere. Moreover, Japan's policy lessons for population aging are likely to be useful to an increasing number of developing countries, particularly in Asia, currently undergoing rapid demographic transformations. Furthermore, in the face of its fast economic development, Japan has retained some of its traditional cultural values, so that the Japanese model may be of relevance to policy makers in the developing region interested in combining the best of traditional and modern approaches in order to provide support to the elderly. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: JAPAN | CRITIQUE | LABOR FORCE | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | FERTILITY DECLINE | LIFE EXPECTANCY | SOCIAL POLICY | RETIREMENT | SOCIAL SECURITY | TECHNOLOGY | LEGISLATION | MIGRATION | PRONATALIST POLICY | Asia, Eastern | Asia | Developed Countries | Human Resources | Economic Factors | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Length of Life | Mortality | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Employment Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Population Policy Document Number: 293671 |
| 25. Title: Why is fertility in Korea lower than in Japan? Author: Suzuki T Source: Journal of Population Problems / Jinko Mondai Kenkyu. 2005;61(2):23-39. Abstract: Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the Republic of Korea showed a sudden fall from 1.47 in 2000 to 1.17 in 2002. Although TFR slightly recovered to 1.19 in 2003, it was still lower than Taiwan (1.24) and Japan (1.29) in the same year. This paper investigates why TFR in Korea since 2001 has been lower than in Japan. It is shown that the tempo-adjusted TFR in Korea in 2002 was still higher than in Japan. This means that one reason of lower fertility in Korea is faster delay in childbearing age. More useful insight can be obtained from a decomposition of nuptiality and marital fertility. A comparison between actual and hypothetical TFRs reveals that approximately 60% of the TFR decline between 1999 and 2002 in Korea was caused by nuptiality decline. However, it is shown that the recent Japan-Korea difference is due not to nuptiality but to marital fertility. According to the 2003 National Fertility and Family Health Survey in Korea, there was an increase in contraception practice since 2000. The ideal number of children did not change in this period. The proportion of high school graduates proceeding to college rose dramatically in the 1990s in Korea while the proportion was stagnated in Japan, suggesting higher cost of childrearing in Korea. The labor participation rate of women in 30s in Korea is lower than in Japan, and the gap has been widening. It is likely that the uncertainty of labor market condition constrained marital fertility in Korea more tightly than in Japan. The Korean government publicized several pro-natal policies in 2004. However, the prerequisite to the recovery of fertility seems to be an acquirement of Western European cultural pattern of weak family ties, extramarital births, early independence of youths, etc. Since such a cultural change is more difficult to occur in Eastern Asia than in Southern Europe, lowest-low fertility in Asia could be severer and last longer than in Europe. (author's) Language: English Keywords: REPUBLIC OF KOREA | JAPAN | CRITIQUE | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | FERTILITY DECLINE | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | TOTAL FERTILITY RATE | MARITAL FERTILITY | NUPTIALITY | FAMILY SIZE, IDEAL | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | PRONATALIST POLICY | Asia, Eastern | Asia | Developed Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Rate | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Family Size | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Economic Factors | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors Document Number: 293766 |
| 26. Title: Creating a "socialist way of life": family and reproduction policies in Bulgaria, 1944-1989. Author: Brunnbauer U; Taylor K Source: Continuity and Change. 2004;19(2):283-312. Abstract: This article explores the policies of the Bulgarian socialist regime (1944-1989) towards the family. Initially, the Bulgarian Communist Party focused on the abolition of the patriarchal family, the emancipation of women and the struggle against ‘bourgeois residues’ in family life. However, the dramatic decline of the birth rate -- a result of rapid urbanization and increasing female employment -- led to a re-direction of official discourse. Reproduction became heavily politicized, as the 1968 ban on abortion makes evident. Despite pro-natalist measures, the government was unable to stop the fertility decline. This article demonstrates how socialist family policy was gradually modified through negotiation between the Party and the population. (author's) Language: English Keywords: BULGARIA | HISTORICAL REVIEW | FAMILY POLICY | FAMILY LIFE | SOCIALISM | FERTILITY DECLINE | PRONATALIST POLICY | BIRTH RATE | FEMALE ROLE | FERTILITY INCENTIVES | ABORTION LAW | AGE SPECIFIC FERTILITY RATE | Europe, Southeastern | Europe | Developing Countries | Social Policy | Policy | Family and Household | Political Systems | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Policy | Fertility Measurements | Social Behavior | Behavior | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Fertility Rate Document Number: 283597 |
| 27. Title: Romance, the patriotic duty of procreation and the fate of nations. Author: Edidin P Source: New York Times. 2004 Feb 8;:[6] p.. Abstract: Valentine's Day approaches and romance - or at least heart shaped boxes of chocolate and lingerie - is in the air. For most people, it's fun to spend Feb. 14 wrapped in a heavily commercialized atmosphere of love and lust. In Singapore, however, romance is a matter of national survival. As Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong proclaimed four years ago, "We need more babies!" The problem is that the fertility rate, the average number of children born to each woman of childbearing years, has fallen well below the "replacement level" of 2.1 required to maintain the city-state's population. By the year 2030, 20 percent of the population will be over 65, if current trends continue. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: SINGAPORE | UNMARRIED | FERTILITY RATE | FERTILITY INCENTIVES | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | PRONATALIST POLICY | INTERNET | MARRIAGE | SEX BEHAVIOR | Developed Countries | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Marital Status | Nuptiality | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Programs | Organization and Administration | Information Networks | Communication | Behavior Document Number: 190677 |
| 28. Peer Reviewed Title: Discussion of paper 'Explanations of the fertility crisis in modern societies: a search for commonalities', Population Studies 57(3): 241-263, by John Caldwell and Thomas Schindlmayr. Method, theory, and substance in understanding choices about becoming a parent: progress or regress? Author: Hobcraft J Source: Population Studies. 2004 Mar;58(1):81-84. Abstract: Caldwell and Schindlmayr provide a useful and fairly comprehensive review of recent work on the issues surrounding very low fertility. However, they then fall into the trap of trying to find an elusive single 'ultimate cause'. I shall argue that the conclusions in their final section are poorly argued, flawed, and much too dismissive of the literature they reviewed from the 1990s, so that their ultimate common explanation is a minor variant on the earlier theories they had previously dismissed. In order to achieve a 'common explanation' we are advised to dismiss all the careful review of evidence on why and when very low fertility levels (here defined as a total fertility of less than 1.5) were achieved since 'the fertility differential between Northwestern Europe and the rest of Europe is too small to be taken seriously' and there 'is an extraordinary simultaneity in the contemporary world'! Do they really believe that sustained total fertility of 1.2 compared with 2.0 is of no consequence? The explanation of low fertility we are suddenly told, 'must be the creation of a world economic system where children are of no economic value to their parents'. Quite how this conclusion of economic determinism is reached remains unclear, but there seem to be echoes of an earlier Caldwell theory on 'intergenerational wealth flows'. We seem to have returned to the broad and vague explanations and theories about the (first) demographic transition. This presumption is perhaps confirmed in the opening sentence of their final paragraph: 'The broadest explanation would echo the 1937 view of Kingsley Davis that ultimately reproduction of the species is not easily compatible with advanced industrial society.' Did the baby boom never happen? Can it be ignored or dismissed in the need for a 'grand theory of everything'? (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: EUROPE, WESTERN | CRITIQUE | THEORETICAL STUDIES | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | FERTILITY DECLINE | DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | PRONATALIST POLICY | ECONOMIC POLICY | SOCIAL POLICY | POPULATION THEORY | Europe | Developed Countries | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Population | Fertility Changes | Population Policy | Policy | Demography | Social Sciences Document Number: 187296 |
| 29. Peer Reviewed Title: Explanations of the fertility crisis in modern societies: a search for commonalities. Author: Caldwell JC; Schindlmayr T Source: Population Studies. 2003;57(3):241-263. Abstract: Near-global fertility decline began in the 1960s, and from the 1980s an increasing number of European countries and some Asian ones achieved very low fertility (total fertility below 1.5) with little likelihood of completed cohort fertility reaching replacement level. Earlier theory aiming at explaining this phenomenon stressed the incompatibility between post-industrial society and behaviour necessary for population replacement. Recent theory has been more specific, often concentrating on the current Italian or Spanish situations or on the contrast between them and the situation in either Scandinavia or the English-speaking countries, or both. Such an approach ignores important evidence, especially that from German-speaking populations. The models available concentrate on welfare systems and family expenses, omitting circumstances that may be unique to individual countries or longer-term factors that may be common to all. (author's) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPED COUNTRIES | EUROPE | THEORETICAL STUDIES | THEORETICAL MODELS | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | FERTILITY DECLINE | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | BELOW REPLACEMENT FERTILITY | POPULATION POLICY | POPULATION REPLACEMENT | PRONATALIST POLICY | SOCIAL POLICY | POPULATION LAW | FAMILY SIZE, IDEAL | RELIGION | POLITICAL FACTORS | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes | Population Decrease | Policy | Legislation | Family Size | Family Characteristics | Family and Household Document Number: 188973 |
| 30. Title: Population, poverty, and the natural environment. Author: Dasgupta P Source: In: Handbook of environmental economics. Volume 1: Environmental degradation and institutional responses, edited by Karl-Göran Mäler and Jeffrey R. Vincent. Amsterdam, Netherlands, Elsevier Science, 2003. :191-247. Abstract: This chapter studies the interface in poor countries of population growth, rural poverty, and deterioration of the local natural-resource base, a subject that has been much neglected by modern demographers and development economists. The motivations for procreation in rural communities of the poorest regions of the world are analyzed, and recent work on the relevance of gender relationships to such motivations is summarized. Four potentially significant social externalities associated with fertility behavior and use of the local natural-resource base are identified. Three are shown to be pronatalist in their effects, while the fourth is shown to be ambiguous, in that it can be either pro- or anti-natalist. It is shown that one of the externalities may even provide an invidious link between fertility decisions and the use of the local natural-resource base. The fourth type of externality is used to develop a theory of fertility transitions in the contemporary world. The theory views such transitions as disequilibrium phenomena. (author's) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | RESEARCH REPORT | EVALUATION | RURAL POPULATION | POPULATION GROWTH | POVERTY | MOTIVATION | GENDER RELATIONS | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | PRONATALIST POLICY | NATURAL RESOURCES | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Dynamics | Economic Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Gender Issues | Fertility | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Environment Document Number: 284381 |
 |
||
 |
Information & Knowledge for Optimal Health (INFO) Project 111 Market Place Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: 410-659-6300 Fax: 410-659-6266 Security & Privacy Policy |  |