Demographic transition, may be stated as a truism of human behavior---a steady decline in death rates in a given society during a generation or two foreshadows a birth rate decline. That is, when death rates are beyond the control of a human society, birth rates will be maximized. And when death rates can be and are managed downward, birth rates will also be managed downward.

In this study, death rates declines are a measured part of well-being--- life expectancy. That is, all the factors and forces which allow and cause improvements in well-being will cause declines in birth rates, measured here as total fertility rate.  And we count declines in total fertility rates as a measure of improved well-being.

This study (located in low income India) does not support an assumption flowing from the belief in the necessity of economic growth and higher incomes to lead demographic transition to lower birth rates. This mistaken assumption may be at the root of a problem in the study of demography. Harriet Presser describes the ideological, not scientific, exclusion of gender analysis from demography. And explains, "The fact that gender is the most pervasive stratification dimension within all societies should be sufficient for gender to merit centrality in demographic thinking."

(Directory)  March 20, 2000