The Relation of Certain Social Factors to Fertility

Numerous studies have shown the gradual decrease in fertility during the last few decades. We have here a biological reaction of man, induced by cultural and social factors. Three social factors which seem important, namely, economic status, educational status, and percentage of urbanization, are studied to determine their "effect" upon fertility in the United States. Religion is found to be largely interwoven with these other factors, and hence its importance is largely mitigated. By means of the coefficient of determination it is found that the three factors selected account for about four-fifths of the social factors affecting fertility. Their effect is found to be such that the rising urbanization rate leads to decreasing fertility; the lessening illiteracy rate has the same result; and the long-time upward movement of per capita current income is the third factor leading to a gradual decrease in fertility. Thus the currents of social change are operating in favor of a continued decrease in the size of the American family

Demographic economics · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Family planning · Fertility · Functional illiteracy · Geography · Political science · Population · Research methodology · Social change · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Total fertility rate · Urbanization · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography