Sex of Offspring and Fertility in South Asia: Demographic Variance and Decision Procedures in "Joint Family" Households

Abstract

Using materials from India, this paper explores some of the implica tions of stochastic demographic variation for theories of household management and fertility. The sex composition of Indian families is highly variable. Such variation may have a negative impact on household viability. Householders sometimes try to control it, therefore, through behaviors that influence mortality differentials by sex. Analyses of birth intervals and reproductive periods in rela tion to sex of prior offspring show that householders also try to control variation in family composition through fertility behaviors, even though they use little con traception. Such findings call into question contributions to demographic transi tion theory which assume that "extended family" households are characterized by persistently high fertility because they are managed according to kinship morality and tradition, severely constraining the rational adjustment of means to ends. At the same time, thesefindings call attention to the importance of the task- oriented character of the domestic group.