Family Size Preferences and Fertility in Southern Nigeria

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Family Size Preferences and Fertility in Southern Nigeria
Authors:	Farooq, Ghazi M. Ekanem, Ita I. Ojelade, Sina
Year:	1980
Periodical:	Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies (ISSN 0256-2316)
Volume:	2
Issue:	2
Pages:	83-111
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Nigeria
Subjects:	family planning fertility Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Women's Issues Health and Nutrition
Abstract:	The available evidence shows that, with a crude birth rate estimated to be around 50 per thousand population, Nigeria ranks among the highest fertility countries in the world. Such a high fertility level, one may argue, could result only from unregulated fertility. One purpose of this study, however, is to establish the hypothesis that in traditional black African societies such as Nigeria, households do have a notion about desired family size and do practise fertility limitation. That is, in these societies, the phenomenon of an open-ended family size does not exist. The study also explores the influences of different social and economic variables on fertility and draws inferences about the possible effects of socio-economic development. This is achieved partly through a parallel analysis of rural and urban patterns under the assumption that the urban centres are the agents of the social, economic and cultural changes. Tab.