Educating women is the most significant factor effecting fertility. Having an education means that women are more likely to get jobs. This effects fertility because they can choose when they have children and if they want to have a career before going into motherhood. They are less likely to have children as their careers take priority in their lives. Or they will have children, but less of them because they don't have time to look after them with a job. They may also have their first child later as they want to pursue a career before motherhood and they physically can't have more than one or two children by the time they decide to have a family. As well as this, having an education means that women will have more knowledge about contraception. This effects fertility because women know how to control the amount of children they have and it is less likely that they will have unwanted or accidental children. - Sorcha Byrne
The economic situation of a person has the largest effect on fertility. In LEDCs children are often seen as an economic asset as they can work on the land and may increase the social status for the family, moreover they can look after parents in their old age as many LEDCs don't have pensions or governmental support for elderly people. On the other hand in MEDCs people often see children as an expensive and time consuming decision. It is much more expensive to raise a child in developed countries so people often choose to have children at a later point in their lives after becoming financially stable meaning they don't have as many child baring years, reducing the number of children they have, in addition to this they often choose to have less children in order to give the children they do have the best opportunities they can. Georgina
Economic factors are the most significant in their impacts on fertility rates. This is because economic factors cover a wide range of different influences. For example the Sweden has a high GDP of over 550 billion, this means that the nation can afford to invest in state healthcare and education. In addition the nation has the world’s best gender equality (as of 2013). These factors mean that there is a high contraceptive prevalence and that women delay having children for their careers so that the fertility rate of Sweden fits that of a typical high income, or developed nation. Contrastingly in many low income countries suffer youthful populations, such as Mail which has a 47.6% of under 16 year olds. This means that in the foreseeable future fertility will be high because these young people will soon reach reproductive age. Furthermore Mail has severe political instability which will keep it a low income country because it is not a wise investment for foreign direct investment. Another factor that can be linked to economy and the affluence of a nation is cultural relativity. Many low income countries undergo secularisation and westernisation as a part of development. Religious ideals such as the Roman Catholic ban on artificial contraceptives become less important. An example is Italy where fertility is 1.3%despite being a Catholic country, this suggests that in the developed nation contraception is widely used. Georgie
I think the most significant factor affecting fertility is education. The lack of education for women in LEDC's increases fertility rates as they don't have the knowledge of contraception or family planning, they live by traditional ideas which is generally that larger families are better; in terms of status and the household income. However, education for women in MEDC's is more accessible and this seems to be lowering fertility rates as some women are choosing to have a career over a family. This links in with the idea of women empowerment and their right to choose to have a career if they want to and not having to abide by the stereotypical female role or traditional ideas. -Niamh McBride
Although Death Rate is important in determining the fertility of an area, I think the most significant factor affecting fertility is the Age Structure of a population. If the proportion of young people of a total population is large, future and current population growth is ensured. Due to the high amount of people of child-bearing years the population growth will generally be greater in LEDCs than in countries with smaller proportions of youthful population (MEDCs), even if births per women decline. The effect of a more youthful population is clearly evident today. Poland’s population currently only consists of 17% young people due to factors such as high net-out migration. The number of Polish immigrant per year is increasing (in search of a higher quality of life, larger disposable income, etc.). This leaves behind a more ageing population with the immigrants mostly of reproductive age moving away for work (and coincidentally raising a family). This escalating ‘mass’ movement along with other factors that age the population (e.g. less desire or time to have children usually in developed countries such as Japan) have considerably lowered (crude) Birth Rates and the Total Fertility Rate of an area. Lydia Gordon
Traditional Factors have impacted fertility rates the most. Originally, for thousands of years in the history of humanity, the traditional culture included backward views on the status of women. Women were viewed as second rate, so were given the domestic roles of life. The majority of women were expected to get married and have children. The result of this was a very high average fertility rate. This was case even in the 1960s, when the figure was 5 children per woman.
At the same time though, traditional values were being challenged by the younger generations. Many women became encouraged to fight and campaign for a better role in society by the 1960s. As the many legislations enforced in the late 20th century did make aspects like higher pay and more job opportunities law, but it still took about 30 years after 1970, for these to have a significant affect, as western culture became more liberal. This change overtime caused new a better views on the status of women, which resulted in a higher percentage of the workforce being women, meaning fewer stayed at home to have children. As a result the total fertility rate has dropped by half since 1960, to 2.5, by 2010.
It is still the case however, in the majority of countries in the world, mainly in the continents of Asia and Africa, of higher than average fertility rates. For example the figure is 3.26 for Pakistan, a country in which children are also seen as a sign of status, hence couples are encouraged to have them. Moreover, the majority of women in the Islamic country are forced to marry and hence have children. - George Thornton
Tradition is the most significant factor affecting fertility. This is because tradition can create intense cultural expectations. This can make women feel as if they must produce a large number of children. These traditions can increase the population's fertility rate, as they lead to women producing more children. For example, in Vietnam 92% of women who had 2 children said they wished to not have any more. However, in Nigeria the figure was only 4%, due to the reason that women are obliged to produce as many children for their husband as part of their 'bride price'. These figures show that NICs have less intense cultural expectations compared to LICs, which reveals that women have an equal status to men in NICs, as they are more developed.
Moreover, in many LEDCs, it is more acceptable for women to get married and have children at a younger age. Countries such as Chad, Bangladesh and Mozambique have more than 1 in 4 adolescent girls that have given birth. This means that there would a higher fertility rate in LEDCs, as adolescent girls, young women and older women have given birth, whereas in MEDCs, the age range of women reproducing is much smaller. Due to tradition, in many countries, women produce more children and at a younger age, increasing the fertility rate of that population. -Aman Malhi
The most significant factors on fertility rate are political influences. A government can change the population of a country (decreasing it or increasing it) in accordance with socio-economic needs. Governments have the power to do this, by passing laws which affect changes to populations. They can do this in several ways, for instance, by controlling the number of children that each couple has. An example of the government interfering with the fertility rate is that of China, which adopted a 'One Child Policy'. Introduced in 1979, with the aim of reducing China's rapid population growth. On the other side of the scale, Singapore adopted the ‘Three or more’ policy which encouraged people to have more children. In doing this the population increase as the fertility rate increased. Another example is passing laws relating to contraception and abortion. The lack of contraception and making abortion a criminal act results in increases in the birth rate. An example of this is what happened in France to increase their population after wars and conflicts. The government banned the sale of contraceptives in 1939. They also enticed couples to have more children by using financial incentives such as payment of up to £1064 to couples having their third child. These examples show how much of an influence a government can have on a country’s population by passing laws. Izzy
There are many different factors that affect fertility, however I think the most significant is education. Education gives people knowledge and understanding not just for having children but also for employment. Having an education enables people to get a career and as a result, a decrease in fertility as people may choose to have a career before starting a family and gain an income to be able to have a suitable lifestyle to bring a child up in and provide for so a higher age- specific fertility rate. This occurs in developed countries such as the UK where the fertility rate is only 1.9 compared to Kenya (developing country) whose fertility rate is 4.46. I believe this big difference is mainly due to the lack of education especially for women, which means rather than getting a good, stable career; people are forced to work in poor conditions. In Kenya, 75% of people work in agriculture (primary sector) and children are seen as an economic benefit to work on the land. Furthermore having an education means understanding contraception and family planning. Without this, fertility is high due to ignorance and inaccessibility. Overall, I think education is the most significant factor affecting fertility which can be linked to other factors which are dependent on it such as economic which shows the significance of education. Aleene
Education is the most significant factor affecting fertility as it links in with many other areas also. Through education people learn about contraceptive methods and through the effective use of these, fertility and birth rates decrease as people understand how to limit their family size. For example in Rwanda, where education standards are low, only 10% of women practice a modern method of family planning, compared to Brazil where 70% of women do. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between increasing female literacy and decreasing fertility rates. This could be due to the employment opportunities that education opens up to women and so they have a choice upon leaving school to go into work - rather than starting a family. This therefore links into the emancipation of women and raises social class; lowering fertility rates. Charlotte
Death rate is the most important factor that affects fertility rates in a country. In LEDCs where child mortality is high, due to things like lack of health care, families have a large number of children to increase the chance of having a surviving child. This causes high fertility rates in developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa a woman has to have on average 10 children to have a 95% chance of having a surviving adult son, whereas in Europe the average is 2. The correlation between the development of the country and the fertility rate is high because, the more developed a country is, the more likely it is to have good health care and sanitation which causes the child mortality rate to decrease and as a result, the fertility rate to lower because the families don’t need to have lots of children to insure a child survives. Other factors also affect death rate and as a result have a direct impact on fertility rates, for example, when men go to war. During this period of time lots of men die meaning fertility rates go down because women can't have children with them. On the other end of the spectrum, when men come back from war there is a 'baby boom' where the fertility rates rise dramatically because they have survived and the women are now able to have children with them. Rosanna
I feel the most significant factor effecting fertility is death rate. This is because in less economically developed countries by having larger families they can ensure some of the children will survive. Scientific research has shown that in Sub-Saharan Africa , where the average infant mortality rate is 100+ per 1000 live births, a woman must have 10 children to ensure that she will have a son who survives until adulthood. This shows the higher the death rate the more children that will be born. Secondly, as countries start to become more developed, the healthcare improves and infant mortality starts to be reduced we often see a reduce in the fertility rate. In Europe and most other MEDC's, we see the average number of children born to each woman is 2. In the USA, the total fertility is an average of 2.0, this is much higher than many other more economically developed countries. These two point show how death rate, especially infant mortality rate, effect total fertility massively across the globe, and this is why i feel that death rate is the most significant factor that effect fertility. -Emily 12C2
Education is the most significant factor affecting fertility in my opinion. Fertility is the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime. There is a strong correlation between increasing female literacy and decreasing fertility rates. Therefore the more women are educated, the fewer children they have. This education emancipates women as they become aware of their rights and of gender equality. Consequentially women may feel that their role is not just to have children but that they can have career and earn money as education has widened their opportunities.
Moreover if women are expected to be in education until their late teens or early twenties they will be likely to have children later as education is their main role as a young girl, not motherhood. Also, with education comes knowledge of birth control and family planning which will reduce the number of children a woman has, in turn, decreasing fertility rates. In countries where women are more educated, levels of family planning are higher such as in Brazil where 70 percent of women practice a modern method of family planning compared to just 10 percent in Rwanda. Cliodhna
Education is the most significant factor affecting fertility. Firstly, if women are educated properly then they are more likely to get a job or stay in education for a longer period of time. Therefore, they are less likely to have children at a young age. Many women in MEDC's prioritise their job over having children and making a family so may never have children, decreasing average fertility.
Another reason that education is the most significant factor affecting fertility is that with education you are taught about 'safe sex', this means that younger women are less likely to have children as they are well educated about birth control so have more of a say when they wish to have children. As well as this, the women will be more aware of when their body is physically ready to give birth.
Additionally, if you are in education you are taught about health and how to look after yourself, this means you become more aware of the appropriate diet and perhaps more aware of when you should go to the doctor's and signs of an illness. Therefore people in education are likely to live longer, healthier lives and live in to ages that are ideal for child birth so may have more children. Ella Cooper
I believe that tradition and woman status have the biggest impact effecting fertility. I believe this because in a lot of countries woman are treated very differently and intense cultural expectations may override the wishes of the women. in LICs children are seen as economic assets so they re used to work from a young age. many cultures have always had many children per family and women are expected to continue this. this varies in different parts of the world. In Vietnam 92%of women with 2 children said they did not want more, whereas in Nigeria the figure was only 4%. Women are obliged to produce as many children as possible for their husbands as their "bride price". In countries such as Chad and Bangladesh more than 1in 4 adolescent girls have given birth. This is why I believe tradition has the biggest impact. Fraser
I think that traditions and women's status are the most significant factors affecting fertility. I many countries with heavy traditions of having big families, the intense cultural expectations may override the wishes of the women. In Nigeria only 4% of women said that they would not have any more children after having 2. In Nigeria the fertility rate is 5.25, whereas in the United Kingdom (where there are not strong traditions) it is 1.8.
In many countries that have these cultural expectations, women marry very early. Marrying early usually increases the amount of children that women will have throughout their lifetime. In Mozambique more than 25% of girls under 18 have given birth at least once, these girls will continue to have many children, therefore increasing the fertility rate.
To stop these cultural expectations from overriding the wishes of women, these countries need to empower women and give them rights. Rights may very from education to being able to inherit money (thereby not having to rely on a husband to survive). By empowering women, the fertility rate will decrease and the women will also be given the right to stand by their choices. Catriona
I think that out of all of the various factors that education is the most significant factor that affects fertility. This is because teaching sexual education in schools and the public having sufficient knowledge about it prevents people from having a lot of children, as people can be educated about the different forms of contraception and where to get them from.
Education in general is also a significant factor which can decrease the fertility rates in countries as a better standard of education allows young girls to pursue having a job rather than their ambitions solely being concentrated on having children.
These points are highlighted by the fact that in Rwanda -a less economically developed county with less knowledge on contraception and less ambitious women- the amount of women who use a modern method of family planning was only 10%. However in Brazil a newly industrialized country with a higher level of education around 70% of women use a modern method of family planning. Chloe Ebubedike
Education is the most significant factor affecting fertility as with a education people will have a greater understanding of Family Planning. Statistics have shown that in LIC's such as Rwanda, only 10% of women have practiced family planning, resulting in a very high birth rate. By prioritising educating those in LIC's they would have a greater understanding of family planning. In addition to my point, statistics have also show that in MIC's such as Brazil where there is improved education that 70% of women have practiced family planning.
Secondly, by having improved education there will also be improved literacy in countries, this will result in more job opportunities due to the qualifications they gathered during education, furthermore this will promote careers for women which would mean they would have children later on in life. Aaron
In most developing countries culture plays a big part in society; in developing countries the culture often affects the number and frequency of child birth. In most developing countries the role of women is that they should provide children for their husbands, it is seen as disrespecting your husband if you do not respect his wishes for a child, because of these intense cultural expectations the women of these developing countries would feel the pressure to provide children for their husbands, this means that the fertility rate will be much higher. However in developed countries the role of women is very different, they do not have the pressure from society to provide children and they have similar roles to men, this means that the fertility rates in such countries are much lower. This is proven statistically with 92% of women in Vietnam with two children said that they did not wish to have any more. However in Nigeria only 4% said that they did not wish to have more than two children. Furthermore in countries such as Chad, Bangladesh and Mozambique more than 1 in 4 adolescent girls have given birth. Lucia
Education, especially the education of women, as this will determine at which age women have children. If women are not given the oppotunity to go to school or given a high school education then it is more likely they will start a family earlier, which would result in more children being born. Meaning priorities would turn from being literate leading to them furthering their learning by going to university or starting a career. An example of this is in the UK, where the current age it is complusary for children to remain in school is 16, this means more woman start a career and have children later so each women would potentially have less children, making the fertility rate 1.90, which is below replacement level. On the other hand, in Rwanda the literacy rate for women is 65%, though this has increased a lot from what it was, this is low compared to the UK, however the fertility rate is much higher at 4.62 per 1000 women. This is closely linked to the position of women in society, as if women are given the ability to choose between starting a career or starting a family then it would change how early they start having children and how many children they will have. Education also gives the population knowledge of birth control, therefore if education is limited then less people will use contraception, resulting in more pregnancies and more births. In Rwanda only 10% of women practice the modern method of family planning making their fertility rate very high, compared to ~70% in Brazil, where the fertility rate is much less at 1.81 per 1000 women. Tallulah
Education, especially the education of women, as this will determine at which age women have children. If women are not given the oppotunity to go to school, or given a high school education then it is more likely they will start a family earlier, which would result in more children being born. Meaning priorities would turn from being literate, leading to them furthering their learning by going to university or starting a career, to being a mother. An example of this is in the UK, where the current age it is complusary for children to remain in school is 16, this means more woman start a career and have children later so each women would potentially have less children, making the fertility rate 1.90, which is below replacement level. On the other hand, in Rwanda the literacy rate for women is 65 percent, though this has increased a lot from what it was this is low compared to the rate in the UK, and the fertility rate is much higher at 4.62 per 1000 women. This is closely linked to the position of women in society as if women are given the ability to choose between starting a career or starting a family then it would change how early they start having children and how many children a woman would have. Education also gives the population knowledge of birth control, therefore is education is limited then less people will use contraception, resulting in more pregnancies and more births. In Rwanda only 10 percent of women practice the modern method of family planning and the fertility is very high, compared to about 70 percent in Brazil, where the fertility rate is much less at 1.81. Tallulah
I think that death rates are the most significant factor affecting fertility rates. Research shows that in sub-Saharan Africa, where the average infant mortality rate is 100+ deaths, a woman must have an average of 10 children to be 95% certain of a surviving adult son. In these areas child mortality is high so families try to compensate for the many kids they lose, due to things like poor sanitation and healthcare, by having a large number of children so that there is a more a likelihood that some will survive. Improvements in healthcare, sanitation and diet have reduced child mortality in MEDCs; therefore in most parts of Europe the need for large families is not seen as important. Also during times of war or epidemic there is a huge increase mortality rates, this directly impacts the fertility rate as when men go to war the women are alone and when then men come back there is a baby boom (e.g. Post-world war II). Additionally when there is an epidemic a large proportion of people are killed and therefore unable to reproduce. Natasha
The most significant factor affecting fertility would be political influences as a change in this has the biggest effect on birth rate. In countries where the government sees that there is a problem with the age structure or size of population the leaders put in place policies which can either encourage an increase in fertility or a decrease. Countries such as Singapore were having problems with a rapidly increasing population with a growth rate of 90.8% between 1957-1970 at this time the country put in place sanctions for families with more that two children such as not receiving maternity leave for the subsequent children. This scheme worked too well as the growth rate dropped to 13.3% between 1970 and 1980. The scheme had worked better than the government had first thought as it got to a point to where they had to start encouraging couples to have more children. The change in population growth with political influences I think is faster and therefore more effective than any other factor. Jessica Meech
I think the most significant factor affecting fertility rates is political influence. Governments have a huge influence over all aspects of a country, and in previous situations where governments have made laws to reduce or increase population, it has had huge effects. In China for example, the 1 child policy introduced in 1979 greatly changed fertility rates. Growth is now 0.7% in China, when in 1950 it was close to 1.9%. Also the political influences in Singapore have shown huge effects on fertility rates from the government. After introducing policies between 1969 and 1972 to help reduce the birth rates in Singapore, they managed to affect population so greatly that by the 1980s they had to introduce incentives to try to boost population. This included cash gifts, housing upgrades and other incentives to encourage couples to have ‘3 or more’ children. This shows the huge effect that governments can have on fertility rates, because they in a position of so much power. Daniel
education plays a large part in affecting fertility rates. education allows people to understand the negative and positive impacts of having children. this makes women less likely to have children. contraception is also taught meaning people now know how to reduce pregnancy. There is a correlation suggesting that as the education system improves, the fertility rate decreases. an example of this is in Rwanda where [pregnancy is high due to only 10% of women practice a modern method of family planning. whereas in brazil its 70% where pregnancy is much lower. jack
I believe that the most significant factor affecting fertility is a countries withstanding tradition to fertility.
Research taken in Vietnam shows that 92% of women who have had 2 children, say that they don't wish to have any more. However this is a great contrast to Nigeria, where only 4% wish the same. There is a great difference because, in Nigeria, women are obliged to have as many children for their husband as possible, this is the stage where they become an object of their husband - "bride price"
In many countries arranged marriages are rapidly increasing, this too is a traditional factor affecting fertility. Females as young 15 are becoming wives. As a wife, these young girls then have to follow orders from their husband, of which normally including having a child. This is a concern in countries such as Chad, Bangladesh and Mozambique, where 1 in 4 (25%) are at risk
The education of women is the most significant factor affecting fertility. If women remain in education longer then they will be at school learning, rather than getting married and having a family. Also, if women are given a better education then they are more likely to have a career. This would mean they start having children later and have less time to have a big family, therefore reducing the fertility rate. There is a strong correlation between increased female literacy rates and decreased fertility rates. The education of women also includes sex education and with improved sex education come a better knowledge of contraception, allowing women to control the size on their family and when they have their children. Contraceptive use is becoming more widespread in developing countries in order to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies. This has been achieved in much of Latin America and the Caribbean but it has not yet been achieved in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. For example, in Rwanda only 10% of women practice modern contraceptive methods, whereas at least 70% do in Brazil. Megan
Tradition is the most significant factor affecting fertility, as it includes the additional importance of education and economic factors. Typically, in some LEDCs, it is traditional for women to have lots of children in a lifetime, meaning there are high fertility rates in these areas. This is due to economic factors such as the fact that the population of LEDCs generally does not earn much money, and are often self employed as a farmer for example. Therefore it is traditional for women to give birth a lot in order to provide more children to work for the family (particularly males) to bring in more of an income. Also it is a cultural expectation, in countries such as Nigeria, for women to be married at a young age, and for them to have many children in order to repay their husband for marrying them. It is also a tradition that girls do not have an education, due to a lack of empowerment for women in LEDCs, in extreme cases of gender inequality. This lack of education results in less awareness of birth control and how to access it, resulting in more pregnancies amongst young women, increasing replacement levels. It also means that girls can get married at a very young age as they are not otherwise occupied at school, meaning the fertility rate is increased as the girls can give birth more throughout their time at a child-bearing age. -Alison Gardner
Fertility rate depends upon many factors, but arguably, it could be said that the most significant is the education of women. Firstly, there is a direct correlation between increasing literacy rates and decreasing fertility rate. Through education, young girls and women increase their understanding of literacy and gain an education, which could provide them with more opportunities for employment in the future. As a result of these opportunities, a women’s priorities could change from producing children, to attending university and seeking a successful career, decreasing fertility rate. These women would then stay on in education until their early twenties, and would be more likely to have children later in life where they can make informed decisions on the number of children they wish to have. In addition, education provides women with knowledge of birth control and family planning. This helps significantly to decrease fertility rate as women are put in a position of control. Through education, more women are informed of where and how to find contraception. For example, in an LEDC country such as Rwanda, where female literacy rate is low, only 10% of women practice modern methods of family planning, compared to the 70% in Brazil, an MEDC. However this also depends on how freely available contraception is, and different views on the use of contraception. If a woman receives an education, she can make a more informed decision of contraception, rather than indoctrination by culture and tradition. - Melanie Soh 12Y2
Education is the biggest factor affecting fertility rates, more precisely the education of women. If women are better educated around the world then they will be aware of different contraceptives and types of birth control. Therefore they will have more options open when considering children. Also if women are educated then they will have the option to get out of the out-dated tradition of all women being housewives. If women are not housewives then they may put their job before having children and therefore delay having children, have fewer children than they may have or have no children at all. Education will also help them to get higher powered jobs which may make them want to put their career first.
The most significant factor affecting fertility rate is the age structures of a country. If there are more youth in a country then elderly people the country is more likely to have a higher fertility rate because of the high numbers of youth who in the near future will be in their child bearing years. An example of this is in Mali which has a 48% proportion of young people, and also Bolivia which has a 39% proportion. This has lead to Mali having a fertility rate of around 6.16. If there is a high percentage of elderly people the country is less likely to have a high fertility rate as they can not have children as frequently when they are older. An example of this is in Poland and Japan, which have proportions of 17% and 14%. This is leading to a population decline. Lewis
In my opinion, educating women is the most significant factor affecting fertility. There is a strong correlation between increasing female literacy rates and decreasing fertility rates, and this is evident when looking at the countries of Rwanda and Brazil. Rwanda's female literacy rate in 67.5%, while Brazil's female literacy rate is 90.7% (CIA World Factbook). 10% of women in Rwanda use modern family planning while roughly 70% do in Brazil. Therefore, increased female literacy rates show a rise in the use of modern family planning. There are many reasons why this could be the case. Firstly, educated women are aware of the different types of modern family planning, and are more likely to know where to access them, compared to uneducated women. Also, educated women may want to focus on the career before having children, therefore leave having children to later on in their life, so have less children. There are many factors that do affect whether women are educated in a certain country or not though. Girls living in developing countries are less likely to receive an education compared to girls in a developed country, as often the government in developing countries cannot afford education for everyone. Different cultures also have different views to the education of women. Anna B 12F
I think that the leading factor towards fertility rates is tradition. This is often seen in the two extremes but in countries such as the UK it is traditional to stop at your second child as it is seen as the normal.
The extremes can be seen in the two countries Vietnam and Nigeria. In Vietnam 92% of women who have had 2 children, say that they don't wish to have any more. This shows how that they have a tradition to only have 2 kids per mother, whereas in Nigeria it is quite the opposite where 96% of women who have 2 kids say that they would want to have more. This shows how tradition can affect the fertility rate because the countries traditions often are a key influence on how many children the mother will have
In many rich countries women have become over time free to work when they want within their life. This is not the case in all countries in the world where many women are stuck in gender specific unpaid (and often very hard) work such as maintaining a household and subsistence farming plots. Many events in the UK have contributed to the increasing equality of women including women gaining the right to vote and the valuable (traditionally viewed as male work) women did in factories in the UK during the 2 World Wars. This Emancipation of women has had a demographic consequence in that it has delayed child bearing age. Women are much more likely now to go to university and work for a few years before having their first child. This can result in fewer children being born per woman as fertility declines with age for women. In 2002 the average age for first births was 29 years, three years older than in 1971. By Omar Ebrahim
I think education is the most important factor for affecting birth rate. This is because results have shown that as education (especially for women) increases, the fertility rate decreases. For example, In the UK where 99% of the population is literate, the fertility rate is 1.9 while in Rwanda where only 65% of women have basic reading levels the fertility rate is 4.62. This is because as education is more widespread, women tend to postpone having children as they would like to pursue a career first. It is also because in education you also learn sex education and about contraception educating people on ways to have sex but still not have children.
I think that the most significant factor is the culture. This is because in a culture, such as in Nigeria, having many children is both necessary to continue the line, but also because having many kids means that they are more respected by other mothers. In contrast, in more modern societies, a woman having more than 4 is looked down upon, which discourages women who want that number to have them, for example in England. Another example of a country who's fertility rate is directly affected by it's culture is Japan. In japan, a study showed that for 16-25 year old males, it was common to have never had a girlfriend. Where as if someone in our culture who is in that age group had never had a girlfriend it is seen as weird, and people would generally start to question if they have homosexual tendencies or something along those lines. peter carling 12C1.
I believe that the most significant factor affecting fertility are the traditions and culture that a person adopts when they live in a certain country. Culture in society is often very closely linked with religion and religion tells us how people should act when it comes to more serious matters, such as fertility. In many religions including a few major ones, like the Roman Catholic Church, birth control is forbidden. Usually in less developed countries, this can have a very large impact on family size as they believe that if these rules are not obeyed then they will not do well after-death. Even when countries become more developed and start not to believe in ideas like God, these rules still stay as they have been ingrained into society over many thousands of years.
Educating women is the most significant factor effecting fertility.
ReplyDeleteHaving an education means that women are more likely to get jobs. This effects fertility because they can choose when they have children and if they want to have a career before going into motherhood. They are less likely to have children as their careers take priority in their lives. Or they will have children, but less of them because they don't have time to look after them with a job. They may also have their first child later as they want to pursue a career before motherhood and they physically can't have more than one or two children by the time they decide to have a family.
As well as this, having an education means that women will have more knowledge about contraception. This effects fertility because women know how to control the amount of children they have and it is less likely that they will have unwanted or accidental children.
- Sorcha Byrne
The economic situation of a person has the largest effect on fertility. In LEDCs children are often seen as an economic asset as they can work on the land and may increase the social status for the family, moreover they can look after parents in their old age as many LEDCs don't have pensions or governmental support for elderly people. On the other hand in MEDCs people often see children as an expensive and time consuming decision. It is much more expensive to raise a child in developed countries so people often choose to have children at a later point in their lives after becoming financially stable meaning they don't have as many child baring years, reducing the number of children they have, in addition to this they often choose to have less children in order to give the children they do have the best opportunities they can. Georgina
ReplyDeleteEconomic factors are the most significant in their impacts on fertility rates. This is because economic factors cover a wide range of different influences. For example the Sweden has a high GDP of over 550 billion, this means that the nation can afford to invest in state healthcare and education. In addition the nation has the world’s best gender equality (as of 2013). These factors mean that there is a high contraceptive prevalence and that women delay having children for their careers so that the fertility rate of Sweden fits that of a typical high income, or developed nation. Contrastingly in many low income countries suffer youthful populations, such as Mail which has a 47.6% of under 16 year olds. This means that in the foreseeable future fertility will be high because these young people will soon reach reproductive age. Furthermore Mail has severe political instability which will keep it a low income country because it is not a wise investment for foreign direct investment. Another factor that can be linked to economy and the affluence of a nation is cultural relativity. Many low income countries undergo secularisation and westernisation as a part of development. Religious ideals such as the Roman Catholic ban on artificial contraceptives become less important. An example is Italy where fertility is 1.3%despite being a Catholic country, this suggests that in the developed nation contraception is widely used. Georgie
ReplyDeleteI think the most significant factor affecting fertility is education. The lack of education for women in LEDC's increases fertility rates as they don't have the knowledge of contraception or family planning, they live by traditional ideas which is generally that larger families are better; in terms of status and the household income. However, education for women in MEDC's is more accessible and this seems to be lowering fertility rates as some women are choosing to have a career over a family. This links in with the idea of women empowerment and their right to choose to have a career if they want to and not having to abide by the stereotypical female role or traditional ideas. -Niamh McBride
ReplyDeleteAlthough Death Rate is important in determining the fertility of an area, I think the most significant factor affecting fertility is the Age Structure of a population. If the proportion of young people of a total population is large, future and current population growth is ensured. Due to the high amount of people of child-bearing years the population growth will generally be greater in LEDCs than in countries with smaller proportions of youthful population (MEDCs), even if births per women decline. The effect of a more youthful population is clearly evident today.
ReplyDeletePoland’s population currently only consists of 17% young people due to factors such as high net-out migration. The number of Polish immigrant per year is increasing (in search of a higher quality of life, larger disposable income, etc.). This leaves behind a more ageing population with the immigrants mostly of reproductive age moving away for work (and coincidentally raising a family). This escalating ‘mass’ movement along with other factors that age the population (e.g. less desire or time to have children usually in developed countries such as Japan) have considerably lowered (crude) Birth Rates and the Total Fertility Rate of an area.
Lydia Gordon
Traditional Factors have impacted fertility rates the most. Originally, for thousands of years in the history of humanity, the traditional culture included backward views on the status of women. Women were viewed as second rate, so were given the domestic roles of life. The majority of women were expected to get married and have children. The result of this was a very high average fertility rate. This was case even in the 1960s, when the figure was 5 children per woman.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time though, traditional values were being challenged by the younger generations. Many women became encouraged to fight and campaign for a better role in society by the 1960s. As the many legislations enforced in the late 20th century did make aspects like higher pay and more job opportunities law, but it still took about 30 years after 1970, for these to have a significant affect, as western culture became more liberal. This change overtime caused new a better views on the status of women, which resulted in a higher percentage of the workforce being women, meaning fewer stayed at home to have children. As a result the total fertility rate has dropped by half since 1960, to 2.5, by 2010.
It is still the case however, in the majority of countries in the world, mainly in the continents of Asia and Africa, of higher than average fertility rates. For example the figure is 3.26 for Pakistan, a country in which children are also seen as a sign of status, hence couples are encouraged to have them. Moreover, the majority of women in the Islamic country are forced to marry and hence have children.
- George Thornton
Tradition is the most significant factor affecting fertility. This is because tradition can create intense cultural expectations. This can make women feel as if they must produce a large number of children. These traditions can increase the population's fertility rate, as they lead to women producing more children. For example, in Vietnam 92% of women who had 2 children said they wished to not have any more. However, in Nigeria the figure was only 4%, due to the reason that women are obliged to produce as many children for their husband as part of their 'bride price'. These figures show that NICs have less intense cultural expectations compared to LICs, which reveals that women have an equal status to men in NICs, as they are more developed.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, in many LEDCs, it is more acceptable for women to get married and have children at a younger age. Countries such as Chad, Bangladesh and Mozambique have more than 1 in 4 adolescent girls that have given birth. This means that there would a higher fertility rate in LEDCs, as adolescent girls, young women and older women have given birth, whereas in MEDCs, the age range of women reproducing is much smaller. Due to tradition, in many countries, women produce more children and at a younger age, increasing the fertility rate of that population.
-Aman Malhi
The most significant factors on fertility rate are political influences. A government can change the population of a country (decreasing it or increasing it) in accordance with socio-economic needs. Governments have the power to do this, by passing laws which affect changes to populations. They can do this in several ways, for instance, by controlling the number of children that each couple has. An example of the government interfering with the fertility rate is that of China, which adopted a 'One Child Policy'. Introduced in 1979, with the aim of reducing China's rapid population growth. On the other side of the scale, Singapore adopted the ‘Three or more’ policy which encouraged people to have more children. In doing this the population increase as the fertility rate increased. Another example is passing laws relating to contraception and abortion. The lack of contraception and making abortion a criminal act results in increases in the birth rate. An example of this is what happened in France to increase their population after wars and conflicts. The government banned the sale of contraceptives in 1939. They also enticed couples to have more children by using financial incentives such as payment of up to £1064 to couples having their third child. These examples show how much of an influence a government can have on a country’s population by passing laws.
ReplyDeleteIzzy
There are many different factors that affect fertility, however I think the most significant is education. Education gives people knowledge and understanding not just for having children but also for employment. Having an education enables people to get a career and as a result, a decrease in fertility as people may choose to have a career before starting a family and gain an income to be able to have a suitable lifestyle to bring a child up in and provide for so a higher age- specific fertility rate. This occurs in developed countries such as the UK where the fertility rate is only 1.9 compared to Kenya (developing country) whose fertility rate is 4.46. I believe this big difference is mainly due to the lack of education especially for women, which means rather than getting a good, stable career; people are forced to work in poor conditions. In Kenya, 75% of people work in agriculture (primary sector) and children are seen as an economic benefit to work on the land.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore having an education means understanding contraception and family planning. Without this, fertility is high due to ignorance and inaccessibility.
Overall, I think education is the most significant factor affecting fertility which can be linked to other factors which are dependent on it such as economic which shows the significance of education.
Aleene
Education is the most significant factor affecting fertility as it links in with many other areas also. Through education people learn about contraceptive methods and through the effective use of these, fertility and birth rates decrease as people understand how to limit their family size. For example in Rwanda, where education standards are low, only 10% of women practice a modern method of family planning, compared to Brazil where 70% of women do. Additionally, there is a strong correlation between increasing female literacy and decreasing fertility rates. This could be due to the employment opportunities that education opens up to women and so they have a choice upon leaving school to go into work - rather than starting a family. This therefore links into the emancipation of women and raises social class; lowering fertility rates.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte
Death rate is the most important factor that affects fertility rates in a country. In LEDCs where child mortality is high, due to things like lack of health care, families have a large number of children to increase the chance of having a surviving child. This causes high fertility rates in developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa a woman has to have on average 10 children to have a 95% chance of having a surviving adult son, whereas in Europe the average is 2. The correlation between the development of the country and the fertility rate is high because, the more developed a country is, the more likely it is to have good health care and sanitation which causes the child mortality rate to decrease and as a result, the fertility rate to lower because the families don’t need to have lots of children to insure a child survives. Other factors also affect death rate and as a result have a direct impact on fertility rates, for example, when men go to war. During this period of time lots of men die meaning fertility rates go down because women can't have children with them. On the other end of the spectrum, when men come back from war there is a 'baby boom' where the fertility rates rise dramatically because they have survived and the women are now able to have children with them. Rosanna
ReplyDeleteI feel the most significant factor effecting fertility is death rate. This is because in less economically developed countries by having larger families they can ensure some of the children will survive. Scientific research has shown that in Sub-Saharan Africa , where the average infant mortality rate is 100+ per 1000 live births, a woman must have 10 children to ensure that she will have a son who survives until adulthood. This shows the higher the death rate the more children that will be born. Secondly, as countries start to become more developed, the healthcare improves and infant mortality starts to be reduced we often see a reduce in the fertility rate. In Europe and most other MEDC's, we see the average number of children born to each woman is 2. In the USA, the total fertility is an average of 2.0, this is much higher than many other more economically developed countries. These two point show how death rate, especially infant mortality rate, effect total fertility massively across the globe, and this is why i feel that death rate is the most significant factor that effect fertility.
ReplyDelete-Emily 12C2
Education is the most significant factor affecting fertility in my opinion. Fertility is the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime. There is a strong correlation between increasing female literacy and decreasing fertility rates. Therefore the more women are educated, the fewer children they have. This education emancipates women as they become aware of their rights and of gender equality. Consequentially women may feel that their role is not just to have children but that they can have career and earn money as education has widened their opportunities.
ReplyDeleteMoreover if women are expected to be in education until their late teens or early twenties they will be likely to have children later as education is their main role as a young girl, not motherhood. Also, with education comes knowledge of birth control and family planning which will reduce the number of children a woman has, in turn, decreasing fertility rates. In countries where women are more educated, levels of family planning are higher such as in Brazil where 70 percent of women practice a modern method of family planning compared to just 10 percent in Rwanda. Cliodhna
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEducation is the most significant factor affecting fertility. Firstly, if women are educated properly then they are more likely to get a job or stay in education for a longer period of time. Therefore, they are less likely to have children at a young age. Many women in MEDC's prioritise their job over having children and making a family so may never have children, decreasing average fertility.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason that education is the most significant factor affecting fertility is that with education you are taught about 'safe sex', this means that younger women are less likely to have children as they are well educated about birth control so have more of a say when they wish to have children. As well as this, the women will be more aware of when their body is physically ready to give birth.
Additionally, if you are in education you are taught about health and how to look after yourself, this means you become more aware of the appropriate diet and perhaps more aware of when you should go to the doctor's and signs of an illness. Therefore people in education are likely to live longer, healthier lives and live in to ages that are ideal for child birth so may have more children.
Ella Cooper
I believe that tradition and woman status have the biggest impact effecting fertility. I believe this because in a lot of countries woman are treated very differently and intense cultural expectations may override the wishes of the women. in LICs children are seen as economic assets so they re used to work from a young age. many cultures have always had many children per family and women are expected to continue this. this varies in different parts of the world. In Vietnam 92%of women with 2 children said they did not want more, whereas in Nigeria the figure was only 4%. Women are obliged to produce as many children as possible for their husbands as their "bride price".
ReplyDeleteIn countries such as Chad and Bangladesh more than 1in 4 adolescent girls have given birth. This is why I believe tradition has the biggest impact.
Fraser
I think that traditions and women's status are the most significant factors affecting fertility. I many countries with heavy traditions of having big families, the intense cultural expectations may override the wishes of the women. In Nigeria only 4% of women said that they would not have any more children after having 2. In Nigeria the fertility rate is 5.25, whereas in the United Kingdom (where there are not strong traditions) it is 1.8.
ReplyDeleteIn many countries that have these cultural expectations, women marry very early. Marrying early usually increases the amount of children that women will have throughout their lifetime. In Mozambique more than 25% of girls under 18 have given birth at least once, these girls will continue to have many children, therefore increasing the fertility rate.
To stop these cultural expectations from overriding the wishes of women, these countries need to empower women and give them rights. Rights may very from education to being able to inherit money (thereby not having to rely on a husband to survive). By empowering women, the fertility rate will decrease and the women will also be given the right to stand by their choices.
Catriona
I think that out of all of the various factors that education is the most significant factor that affects fertility. This is because teaching sexual education in schools and the public having sufficient knowledge about it prevents people from having a lot of children, as people can be educated about the different forms of contraception and where to get them from.
ReplyDeleteEducation in general is also a significant factor which can decrease the fertility rates in countries as a better standard of education allows young girls to pursue having a job rather than their ambitions solely being concentrated on having children.
These points are highlighted by the fact that in Rwanda -a less economically developed county with less knowledge on contraception and less ambitious women- the amount of women who use a modern method of family planning was only 10%. However in Brazil a newly industrialized country with a higher level of education around 70% of women use a modern method of family planning.
Chloe Ebubedike
Education is the most significant factor affecting fertility as with a education people will have a greater understanding of Family Planning. Statistics have shown that in LIC's such as Rwanda, only 10% of women have practiced family planning, resulting in a very high birth rate. By prioritising educating those in LIC's they would have a greater understanding of family planning. In addition to my point, statistics have also show that in MIC's such as Brazil where there is improved education that 70% of women have practiced family planning.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, by having improved education there will also be improved literacy in countries, this will result in more job opportunities due to the qualifications they gathered during education, furthermore this will promote careers for women which would mean they would have children later on in life.
Aaron
In most developing countries culture plays a big part in society; in developing countries the culture often affects the number and frequency of child birth. In most developing countries the role of women is that they should provide children for their husbands, it is seen as disrespecting your husband if you do not respect his wishes for a child, because of these intense cultural expectations the women of these developing countries would feel the pressure to provide children for their husbands, this means that the fertility rate will be much higher. However in developed countries the role of women is very different, they do not have the pressure from society to provide children and they have similar roles to men, this means that the fertility rates in such countries are much lower. This is proven statistically with 92% of women in Vietnam with two children said that they did not wish to have any more. However in Nigeria only 4% said that they did not wish to have more than two children. Furthermore in countries such as Chad, Bangladesh and Mozambique more than 1 in 4 adolescent girls have given birth.
ReplyDeleteLucia
Education, especially the education of women, as this will determine at which age women have children. If women are not given the oppotunity to go to school or given a high school education then it is more likely they will start a family earlier, which would result in more children being born. Meaning priorities would turn from being literate leading to them furthering their learning by going to university or starting a career. An example of this is in the UK, where the current age it is complusary for children to remain in school is 16, this means more woman start a career and have children later so each women would potentially have less children, making the fertility rate 1.90, which is below replacement level. On the other hand, in Rwanda the literacy rate for women is 65%, though this has increased a lot from what it was, this is low compared to the UK, however the fertility rate is much higher at 4.62 per 1000 women. This is closely linked to the position of women in society, as if women are given the ability to choose between starting a career or starting a family then it would change how early they start having children and how many children they will have. Education also gives the population knowledge of birth control, therefore if education is limited then less people will use contraception, resulting in more pregnancies and more births. In Rwanda only 10% of women practice the modern method of family planning making their fertility rate very high, compared to ~70% in Brazil, where the fertility rate is much less at 1.81 per 1000 women. Tallulah
ReplyDeleteEducation, especially the education of women, as this will determine at which age women have children. If women are not given the oppotunity to go to school, or given a high school education then it is more likely they will start a family earlier, which would result in more children being born. Meaning priorities would turn from being literate, leading to them furthering their learning by going to university or starting a career, to being a mother. An example of this is in the UK, where the current age it is complusary for children to remain in school is 16, this means more woman start a career and have children later so each women would potentially have less children, making the fertility rate 1.90, which is below replacement level. On the other hand, in Rwanda the literacy rate for women is 65 percent, though this has increased a lot from what it was this is low compared to the rate in the UK, and the fertility rate is much higher at 4.62 per 1000 women. This is closely linked to the position of women in society as if women are given the ability to choose between starting a career or starting a family then it would change how early they start having children and how many children a woman would have. Education also gives the population knowledge of birth control, therefore is education is limited then less people will use contraception, resulting in more pregnancies and more births. In Rwanda only 10 percent of women practice the modern method of family planning and the fertility is very high, compared to about 70 percent in Brazil, where the fertility rate is much less at 1.81. Tallulah
ReplyDeleteI think that death rates are the most significant factor affecting fertility rates.
ReplyDeleteResearch shows that in sub-Saharan Africa, where the average infant mortality rate is 100+ deaths, a woman must have an average of 10 children to be 95% certain of a surviving adult son. In these areas child mortality is high so families try to compensate for the many kids they lose, due to things like poor sanitation and healthcare, by having a large number of children so that there is a more a likelihood that some will survive.
Improvements in healthcare, sanitation and diet have reduced child mortality in MEDCs; therefore in most parts of Europe the need for large families is not seen as important.
Also during times of war or epidemic there is a huge increase mortality rates, this directly impacts the fertility rate as when men go to war the women are alone and when then men come back there is a baby boom (e.g. Post-world war II). Additionally when there is an epidemic a large proportion of people are killed and therefore unable to reproduce. Natasha
The most significant factor affecting fertility would be political influences as a change in this has the biggest effect on birth rate. In countries where the government sees that there is a problem with the age structure or size of population the leaders put in place policies which can either encourage an increase in fertility or a decrease. Countries such as Singapore were having problems with a rapidly increasing population with a growth rate of 90.8% between 1957-1970 at this time the country put in place sanctions for families with more that two children such as not receiving maternity leave for the subsequent children. This scheme worked too well as the growth rate dropped to 13.3% between 1970 and 1980. The scheme had worked better than the government had first thought as it got to a point to where they had to start encouraging couples to have more children. The change in population growth with political influences I think is faster and therefore more effective than any other factor.
ReplyDeleteJessica Meech
I think the most significant factor affecting fertility rates is political influence. Governments have a huge influence over all aspects of a country, and in previous situations where governments have made laws to reduce or increase population, it has had huge effects. In China for example, the 1 child policy introduced in 1979 greatly changed fertility rates. Growth is now 0.7% in China, when in 1950 it was close to 1.9%.
ReplyDeleteAlso the political influences in Singapore have shown huge effects on fertility rates from the government. After introducing policies between 1969 and 1972 to help reduce the birth rates in Singapore, they managed to affect population so greatly that by the 1980s they had to introduce incentives to try to boost population. This included cash gifts, housing upgrades and other incentives to encourage couples to have ‘3 or more’ children. This shows the huge effect that governments can have on fertility rates, because they in a position of so much power. Daniel
education plays a large part in affecting fertility rates. education allows people to understand the negative and positive impacts of having children. this makes women less likely to have children. contraception is also taught meaning people now know how to reduce pregnancy. There is a correlation suggesting that as the education system improves, the fertility rate decreases. an example of this is in Rwanda where [pregnancy is high due to only 10% of women practice a modern method of family planning. whereas in brazil its 70% where pregnancy is much lower.
ReplyDeletejack
I believe that the most significant factor affecting fertility is a countries withstanding tradition to fertility.
ReplyDeleteResearch taken in Vietnam shows that 92% of women who have had 2 children, say that they don't wish to have any more. However this is a great contrast to Nigeria, where only 4% wish the same. There is a great difference because, in Nigeria, women are obliged to have as many children for their husband as possible, this is the stage where they become an object of their husband - "bride price"
In many countries arranged marriages are rapidly increasing, this too is a traditional factor affecting fertility. Females as young 15 are becoming wives. As a wife, these young girls then have to follow orders from their husband, of which normally including having a child. This is a concern in countries such as Chad, Bangladesh and Mozambique, where 1 in 4 (25%) are at risk
Kyle
The education of women is the most significant factor affecting fertility. If women remain in education longer then they will be at school learning, rather than getting married and having a family. Also, if women are given a better education then they are more likely to have a career. This would mean they start having children later and have less time to have a big family, therefore reducing the fertility rate. There is a strong correlation between increased female literacy rates and decreased fertility rates. The education of women also includes sex education and with improved sex education come a better knowledge of contraception, allowing women to control the size on their family and when they have their children. Contraceptive use is becoming more widespread in developing countries in order to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies. This has been achieved in much of Latin America and the Caribbean but it has not yet been achieved in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. For example, in Rwanda only 10% of women practice modern contraceptive methods, whereas at least 70% do in Brazil. Megan
ReplyDeleteTradition is the most significant factor affecting fertility, as it includes the additional importance of education and economic factors. Typically, in some LEDCs, it is traditional for women to have lots of children in a lifetime, meaning there are high fertility rates in these areas. This is due to economic factors such as the fact that the population of LEDCs generally does not earn much money, and are often self employed as a farmer for example. Therefore it is traditional for women to give birth a lot in order to provide more children to work for the family (particularly males) to bring in more of an income. Also it is a cultural expectation, in countries such as Nigeria, for women to be married at a young age, and for them to have many children in order to repay their husband for marrying them. It is also a tradition that girls do not have an education, due to a lack of empowerment for women in LEDCs, in extreme cases of gender inequality. This lack of education results in less awareness of birth control and how to access it, resulting in more pregnancies amongst young women, increasing replacement levels. It also means that girls can get married at a very young age as they are not otherwise occupied at school, meaning the fertility rate is increased as the girls can give birth more throughout their time at a child-bearing age. -Alison Gardner
ReplyDeleteFertility rate depends upon many factors, but arguably, it could be said that the most significant is the education of women.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, there is a direct correlation between increasing literacy rates and decreasing fertility rate. Through education, young girls and women increase their understanding of literacy and gain an education, which could provide them with more opportunities for employment in the future. As a result of these opportunities, a women’s priorities could change from producing children, to attending university and seeking a successful career, decreasing fertility rate. These women would then stay on in education until their early twenties, and would be more likely to have children later in life where they can make informed decisions on the number of children they wish to have.
In addition, education provides women with knowledge of birth control and family planning. This helps significantly to decrease fertility rate as women are put in a position of control. Through education, more women are informed of where and how to find contraception. For example, in an LEDC country such as Rwanda, where female literacy rate is low, only 10% of women practice modern methods of family planning, compared to the 70% in Brazil, an MEDC. However this also depends on how freely available contraception is, and different views on the use of contraception. If a woman receives an education, she can make a more informed decision of contraception, rather than indoctrination by culture and tradition. - Melanie Soh 12Y2
Education is the biggest factor affecting fertility rates, more precisely the education of women. If women are better educated around the world then they will be aware of different contraceptives and types of birth control. Therefore they will have more options open when considering children. Also if women are educated then they will have the option to get out of the out-dated tradition of all women being housewives. If women are not housewives then they may put their job before having children and therefore delay having children, have fewer children than they may have or have no children at all. Education will also help them to get higher powered jobs which may make them want to put their career first.
ReplyDeleteTom Newton
The most significant factor affecting fertility rate is the age structures of a country. If there are more youth in a country then elderly people the country is more likely to have a higher fertility rate because of the high numbers of youth who in the near future will be in their child bearing years. An example of this is in Mali which has a 48% proportion of young people, and also Bolivia which has a 39% proportion. This has lead to Mali having a fertility rate of around 6.16.
ReplyDeleteIf there is a high percentage of elderly people the country is less likely to have a high fertility rate as they can not have children as frequently when they are older. An example of this is in Poland and Japan, which have proportions of 17% and 14%. This is leading to a population decline.
Lewis
In my opinion, educating women is the most significant factor affecting fertility.
ReplyDeleteThere is a strong correlation between increasing female literacy rates and decreasing fertility rates, and this is evident when looking at the countries of Rwanda and Brazil.
Rwanda's female literacy rate in 67.5%, while Brazil's female literacy rate is 90.7% (CIA World Factbook).
10% of women in Rwanda use modern family planning while roughly 70% do in Brazil.
Therefore, increased female literacy rates show a rise in the use of modern family planning.
There are many reasons why this could be the case. Firstly, educated women are aware of the different types of modern family planning, and are more likely to know where to access them, compared to uneducated women. Also, educated women may want to focus on the career before having children, therefore leave having children to later on in their life, so have less children.
There are many factors that do affect whether women are educated in a certain country or not though. Girls living in developing countries are less likely to receive an education compared to girls in a developed country, as often the government in developing countries cannot afford education for everyone. Different cultures also have different views to the education of women.
Anna B 12F
I think that the leading factor towards fertility rates is tradition. This is often seen in the two extremes but in countries such as the UK it is traditional to stop at your second child as it is seen as the normal.
ReplyDeleteThe extremes can be seen in the two countries Vietnam and Nigeria. In Vietnam 92% of women who have had 2 children, say that they don't wish to have any more. This shows how that they have a tradition to only have 2 kids per mother, whereas in Nigeria it is quite the opposite where 96% of women who have 2 kids say that they would want to have more. This shows how tradition can affect the fertility rate because the countries traditions often are a key influence on how many children the mother will have
Carl.
In many rich countries women have become over time free to work when they want within their life. This is not the case in all countries in the world where many women are stuck in gender specific unpaid (and often very hard) work such as maintaining a household and subsistence farming plots. Many events in the UK have contributed to the increasing equality of women including women gaining the right to vote and the valuable (traditionally viewed as male work) women did in factories in the UK during the 2 World Wars. This Emancipation of women has had a demographic consequence in that it has delayed child bearing age. Women are much more likely now to go to university and work for a few years before having their first child. This can result in fewer children being born per woman as fertility declines with age for women. In 2002 the average age for first births was 29 years, three years older than in 1971. By Omar Ebrahim
ReplyDeleteI think education is the most important factor for affecting birth rate. This is because results have shown that as education (especially for women) increases, the fertility rate decreases. For example, In the UK where 99% of the population is literate, the fertility rate is 1.9 while in Rwanda where only 65% of women have basic reading levels the fertility rate is 4.62. This is because as education is more widespread, women tend to postpone having children as they would like to pursue a career first. It is also because in education you also learn sex education and about contraception educating people on ways to have sex but still not have children.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most significant factor is the culture.
ReplyDeleteThis is because in a culture, such as in Nigeria, having many children is both necessary to continue the line, but also because having many kids means that they are more respected by other mothers.
In contrast, in more modern societies, a woman having more than 4 is looked down upon, which discourages women who want that number to have them, for example in England.
Another example of a country who's fertility rate is directly affected by it's culture is Japan. In japan, a study showed that for 16-25 year old males, it was common to have never had a girlfriend. Where as if someone in our culture who is in that age group had never had a girlfriend it is seen as weird, and people would generally start to question if they have homosexual tendencies or something along those lines.
peter carling 12C1.
I believe that the most significant factor affecting fertility are the traditions and culture that a person adopts when they live in a certain country. Culture in society is often very closely linked with religion and religion tells us how people should act when it comes to more serious matters, such as fertility. In many religions including a few major ones, like the Roman Catholic Church, birth control is forbidden. Usually in less developed countries, this can have a very large impact on family size as they believe that if these rules are not obeyed then they will not do well after-death. Even when countries become more developed and start not to believe in ideas like God, these rules still stay as they have been ingrained into society over many thousands of years.
ReplyDelete