[lbo-talk] Better Than China, Saudi Arabia, Etc.!

[JBrown72073 at cs.com]

>On Mon, 15 Aug 2005, Carrol Cox wrote:
>>
>> Speculation -- though there may be some research and analysis backing
>> this: The birth rate is in inverse ratio to the status of women. The
>> more social and/or individual power women have, the fewer babies.
>> Perhaps also a correlation (inverse) with leisure time.
>>
>> Carrol
>
>Interesting exception to this trend: relatively low levels of
>gender inequality in hunting and gathering tribes with high
>birth rates, compared to industrial societies.  Lots of babies
>and gender inequality are not inevitably linked, although
>they often are in developing regions.
>
>Miles

If "status of women" is a stand in, as it often in, for "control of 
reproduction," then this contradiction can be explained.  Cooperation from men in 
preventing pregnancy--more likely when women have more equality--is no use if the 
chosen birth control method is ineffective.  And, if a significant birth 
control method is infanticide (as it at least has been among some gathering-hunting 
groups), then that chosen birth control method may show a high birth rate 
along with higher gender equality.

Jenny Brown