What is Culture of higher fertility?

INTRODUCTION

 High fertility rates in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) have been pinpointed to exhibit a very unique demographic scenario in the world that sets it apart from other regions in the world. Demographers are particularly keen on comprehending the dynamics surrounding the demographic transition of the sub continent especially with respect to its movement from high fertility rates to low fertility rates. 

The decline in fertility embodies the second phase of the demographic transition process (Malmberg 2008) Contrary to the case of most regions like Europe, South America and Asia that have for long entered the fertility transition marked by a declined in their fertility rates in the 1950s and 1960s,, sub Saharan Africa is the only region in the world, where fertility decline has been rather slow and late. According to Bo Malmberg (2008), the current fertility rates in the sub continent stand at the same level as that of Asia and South America towards the end of the 1970s. 

According to arguments postulated by the demographic transition theory, all regions are expected to undergo a demographic transition that is characterized by the movement from high fertility rates and mortality rates to low fertility and mortality rates. Most countries in Sub Saharan Africa are still experiencing relatively higher fertility rates. What can be discern from the information so far provided, is that sub Saharan Africa is the sole region in the world that has not so far experienced any significant decline in its fertility rates (Etienne Van de Walle and Dominique Meekers, 1994).

DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

Culture is totality of learned, socially, transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects and behavior it include the ideas, values and artifacts examples dvd,comic books and birth control devices of the groups of people, (Richard T. Schaefer,2008).

Culture is learned behavior which is socially is acquired that is the material and non material traits which are passed from one generation to another, (Eugene A. Nida, 1952).

Culture refers to the social heritage of a people those learned partners to thinking, feeling and acting that are transmitted from one generation to next, including embodiment of these patterns in material items, (Michael Hughes and Carolyn J. Krochler, 2005).

Fertility refers to the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her life time (www.answers.about/fertility rate).

Generally higher fertility refers to the tendency of a woman to bear many children over her life time or higher fertility rate means that more children are born in the given country every year.

Most of the counties with the lowest rate of contraceptive use, highest maternal, infant and child mortality rates and highest fertility rates are in Africa. The following are the factors accounting for higher fertility rate in developing countries.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE HIGHER FERTILITY

Lower status to women, women generally due to their lower status relative to men in most sub-Saharan African societies have less control on reproduction something which affect the kevel of contraceptive use since men most often than not tend to decide on fertility matters,  also due to women not being involved in decision making on fertility matters they don’t have awareness on the uses of contraceptive which can reduce high fertility in the community as a results men are forcing them on the number of children they should bear hence this leads to the higher fertility within the society.

Polygamy, this refers to the practice or custom of having more than one wife at the same time, therefore many men in sub-Saharan countries feel proud for having many wives at the same time while others men do so for the purpose of defense as well as for the workforce purposes, hence this kind of marriage has resulted each woman bearing six up to eight children per each as a result the culture is of higher fertility.

Remarriage of widows, the culture of inheritance in most of the sub-Saharan countries is among of the causative factor contribute to the higher fertility and this happen when woman is inherited to another husband where also she is required to have other children regardless she had a lot of children to the first husband and this kind of culture has been practiced to the countries like Tanzania Uganda and Burundi since the fertility is becoming large.

Early and forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her will. This contributes to the higher fertility in the sense that girls are forced to engage in marriage before their required time that means below eighteen (18) years as a result they find that they have a lot of children while still they are young, therefore until to become elders already they have beard a number of children and this is commonly in sub-Saharan countries something which contribute to the higher society.

Higher illiteracy, also in sub-Saharan countries majority of the people are illiteracy, so due to this they fail to practice family planning method like contraceptive use like condom which can help them to have a limit of children per each family as a result they bear many children who lack to get some basic social services like education and health services hence this leads to higher fertility.

Son preference, despite a strong family planning program and a growing desire for smaller families, women in sub-Saharan often have more children than they would like because of longstanding preference for sons over daughters, it have been said that women were more likely to stop having children if their last child had been a son rather than a daughter.

Infant mortality rate, a family may have more children if a country’s infant mortality rate is high, since it is likely some of those children will die. Therefore due to the infant mortality rate facing many sub-Saharan countries comparing to the developed countries where infant mortality is low thus why population in developing countries is increasing.

Poverty, this also contributes to the higher fertility in the facts that, children can be viewed as an economic resource in developing countries since they can earn money. As people require more training, parents tend to have fewer children and invest more resources in each child, lower the level of technology higher the birth rate.

CONCLUSION

All in all high fertility can be of byproduct or residue of cultural, economic and social factors, sociocultural factors or circumstances have been pinpointed to play pivotal role for the relatively high fertility rates prevailing in the region. This range from high infant and child mortality, early and universal marriage low contraceptive use and the high value placed on child realing causes culture of higher fertility. Typically higher fertility is associated with health problems, low life expectancy, low living standards, low social status to women and low education level.

REFERENCES

Chytilová, M. Bauer, P. Streblov, (2007) “Determinants of Fertility in Uganda; microeconomic       evidence 1, Economic Theory of Political Markets”.

Caldwell, John C. (1980) “Mass education as a determinant of the timing of fertility decline.”       

Hughes Michael and kroehler Carolyn J (2005) “sociology the core” 7^th Edition.

Macionis, John. J and plummer ken (2008) sociology “A global introduction” 4^th Edition. Person Education limited England.

Schaefer Richard T. (2008) “sociology A brief introduction” 6^th Edition, Mc Graw Hill.

Written By AUSI CHIWAMBO (2014)-Teofilo Kisanji University