Social and Cultural Influences on Fertility Behaviour

Abstract

Governmental efforts towards fertility reduction often face a dilemma: babies who are planners' worry are also a parent's hope and joy (Mandelbaum 1974:110). The beliefs of the people on this subject and what planners believe ought to be done may on occasion diverge substantially. Planners generally assume that people suffer from ignorance and need only to be educated about population and family planning activities in order to change their behaviour. The underlying assumption is that the people gratefully accept the proffered package of advice and services. (UNESCAP 1992:27) As, studies have shown, people are not motivated to reduce the size of their families by the lessons provided by statistics of rampant population increase with its negative impacts on the process of development overall. Nor are they motivated by the case and availability of virtually foolproof methods of fertility control. People have their own ideas about the family size, the importance of the male child, and so forth.