Traditional Shona concepts on family life and how systems planned on the basis of these concepts effectively contained the population growth of Shona communities

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Periodical article

Title:	Traditional Shona concepts on family life and how systems planned on the basis of these concepts effectively contained the population growth of Shona communities
Author:	Mutambirwa, Jane
Year:	1979
Periodical:	The Zimbabwe Journal of Economics
Volume:	1
Issue:	2
Pages:	96-103
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Zimbabwe
Subjects:	Shona family planning
Abstract:	The concept of containing fertility witin certain limits is not strange to the traditional Shona people. Their culturally acceptable number of offspring per family unit was eight. A change of attitude towards a new average value on the number of children would not be difficult to accomplish therefore. What is strange to them, however, is the approach and the framework within which they are forced to participate in fertility control programmes. Most educational programmes use objectives formulated from Western concepts of life without investigating the circumstances of the people to be educated. Educators who take the time to study and understand traditional system already in existence, will formulate objectives that provide for greater participation of their populations.