Are old-age security and the utility of children in rural India really unimportant?

Abstract Extract In their recent paper in this journal M. and Carol Vlassoff are to be commended for helping to remedy the dearth of empirical studies on the old-age security motive for children (and particularly sons) in rural areas of developing countries.(1) However, while the questionnaire which they applied to 357 ever-married men in a rural village in Maharashtra state in India is potentially useful, several of the conclusions they derive from it are unwarranted and, if left unquestioned, would undoubtedly have the effect of setting back the serious investigation of the effects of this motive rather than furthering it. The invalid or at least questionable inferences are taken up one at a time in the order of their appearance:     

Where have all the children gone? Women's reports of more childlessness at older ages than when they were younger in a large-scale continuous household survey in Britain

Levels of childlessness reported by the same cohorts of women and surveyed by the British General Household Survey increase with age by over 50 per cent between their early 40s and their late 50s for women born in the early 1940s. Yet the reported mean fertility of parous women remains constant with increasing age. Similar results hold within sub-groups such as different educational and marital status groups. Possible reasons for these findings include declining comparability of the base population over time due to differential migration, mortality, or institutionalization, changes in survey design and content, and differential non-response by childless and parous women. The evidence shows that these are not adequate explanations. The most likely reason is deliberate under-reporting of childbearing among older cohorts of women. The findings have implications for the interpretation of retrospective data in surveys and for the availability of informal care for older people.     

By what measure? family time devoted to children in the united states

We argue that previous research on time devoted to child care has paid insufficient attention to the conceptualization of care time. Three separate problems are evident. First, the conventional focus on explicit activities with children distracts attention from the larger responsibilities of "passive" care, which ranges from time when children are sleeping to time when they are in the same general area but are not engaged in an activity with parents. Second, the empirical analysis of activity time focuses almost exclusively on parents, overlooking the role of relatives such as grandmothers and siblings. Third, the measurement of active care time often ignores the impact of overlaps among both care providers and recipients. Our analysis of the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics sheds light on these three problems and presents new measures of passive and active care time.     

Fathers�� time investments in children: do sons get more?

This paper uses the 2003 American Time Use Survey to examine the effects of child gender on paternal time with children in married two-parent families. The results show that fathers of boys invest more time in children than those with only daughters and reduce their leisure time without children to do so. Boys get more of this time than girls in all-girl families and compared to their own sisters. Girls with brothers receive more of fathers’ time than girls with only sisters, but this is primarily in television watching, so whether this advantages them is open to question.     

‘Determined to breastfeed’: A case study of exclusive breastfeeding using interpretative phenomenological analysis

Background

Given the significant benefits of breastfeeding, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Despite numerous strategies aimed at increasing the percentage of babies who are exclusively breastfed, Australia currently has one of the lowest six-month exclusive breastfeeding rates in the developed world. Notably, most research focuses on the early postnatal period (birth-two months) yet the largest decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates is observed between two and six months.

The cost of children: May the collective approach to household behavior help?

The collective approach to household consumption behavior tries to infer from variables supposed to affect the general bargaining position of household members information on the allocation of consumptions goods and tasks among them. This paper investigates the extension of previous work to the case where children may be considered as a public consumption good by the two adult members of a household. The main question being asked is whether it is possible to retrieve from the aggregate consumption behaviour of the household and the relative earnings of the parents information on the allocation of goods between them and children. This alternative approach to the estimation of the ‘cost of children’ is contrasted with the conventional approach based on a ‘unitary’ representation of and demographic separability assumptions on household consumption behaviour. Received: 29 August 1997/Accepted: 26 November 1998     

Are births underreported in rural China? Manipulation of statistical records in response to China’s population policies

Under the current family planning policy in China, the criterion for evaluating all parties involved in the birth planning system provides an incentive for everyone to see that the policy is met, either in reality through strict enforcement of family planning regulations, or statistically through manipulation of statistical records. We investigate underreporting of births in four rural counties of northern China, using data from a 1992 sample survey featuring a reproductive history. To clarify the mechanisms of underreporting, we focus on the ways in which reporting errors may affect the distribution of first births by time since marriage. The results of our investigation suggest that in three of the four counties, first-birth intervals are lengthened by underreporting of girl babies and by replacing them with second births reported as first births.     

Why are fewer married women joining the work force in rural India? A decomposition analysis over two decades

In contrast with global trends, India has witnessed a secular decline in women’s employment rates over the past few decades. We investigate this decline in rural areas, where the majority of Indian women reside. Using parametric and semi-parametric decomposition techniques, we show that changes in individual and household attributes fully account for the fall in women’s labor force participation in 1987–1999 and account for more than half of the decline in 1999–2011. Our findings underscore increasing education levels among rural married women and the men in their households as the most prominent attributes contributing to this decline. We provide suggestive evidence that changes in more educated women’s relative returns to home production compared with market production may have adversely affected female labor force participation in rural India.     

It’s more than just luck: A qualitative exploration of breastfeeding in rural Australia

It’s more than just luck: A qualitative exploration of breastfeeding in rural Australia

Newcomers and oldtimers: Do classification methods matter in the study of amenity migration impacts in rural America?

Rural, high-amenity areas in the USA continue to attract significant numbers of migrants. A common approach to investigating the potential consequences of rural in-migration is to contrast the characteristics, attitudes, and/or actions of migrants and non-migrants (or “newcomers” and “oldtimers”). However, no consensus exists on the distinctions (or the lack thereof) between these two groups in the existing literature, in part because previous research used a variety of methods to classify residence status. Drawing on household survey data from nine communities in north-central Colorado, this study illustrates how different categorizations may yield different conclusions. Categorizing resident groups by the 1970/1980 cutoff or 5-, 10-, or 20-year length of residence substantially altered the differences and similarities between newcomers and oldtimers in selected sociodemographic, perceptual, and behavior indicators. It is recommended that researchers choose the most appropriate classification approach based on specific research questions and objectives as well as important transitions in the migration patterns of their study areas. These findings have direct implications for future research on rural demographic change and socioeconomic restructuring.     

What are the views of midwives in relation to perineal repair?

PURPOSE: To determine the views of midwives towards perineal repair and the most effective way to teach and support midwives in developing this skill. PROCEDURE: A questionnaire was distributed to 111 midwives who attended a 1-day seminar. Information was sought on a range of views relating to perineal repair, including experience, confidence, education and accreditation, attitudes and trends. FINDINGS: One hundred and six (96%) questionnaires were returned. All respondents (100%) believed midwives should be taught to undertake perineal repair. The most important reason was to provide continuity of care for women. Experience increased confidence and enjoyment in undertaking perineal repair as well as lessening fears over the impact of suturing on women. Experience did not significantly impact on concerns regarding legal implications associated with perineal repair. Three quarters of respondents reported that midwifery students should have practical experience of perineal repair. There was strong support for doctors and midwives to undertake perineal repair education together (96%), preferably in a 1-day workshop format (56%); for standards to be set by the professional colleges (midwifery and obstetrics) (66%); for midwives and doctors to be accredited as competent before performing perineal repair independently (>90%) and for regular updates in perineal repair (93%). The majority of midwives (73%) felt that they were more likely to suture than 5 years ago, due mainly to a greater appreciation of woman centred care (35%). Over 60% of midwives said they would not suture a first-degree tear more than half of the time and 13% would not suture a second-degree tear more than half of the time. PRINCIPLE CONCLUSION: A desire to provide continuity of care appears to be a major motivator for midwives to learn to undertake perineal repair. There is need for standards to be set for perineal repair to encourage consistency in education. Perineal repair programs that involve midwives and doctors training together have strong support from midwives but it is unclear if doctors would also support this. Further research is needed to support or refute the trend for midwives to not suture some perineal trauma.     

Choosing children over career? Changes in the postpartum labor force behavior of professional women

In recent years, the popular press in the U.S. hasrepeatedly profiled professionalwomen who have elected to leave the labor force inorder to devote their full-timeenergies to child rearing. The conclusion of thesearticles is often that mothers havetired of trying to be superwomen and have decidedthat high achievement in thelabor force is not compatible with a successful homelife. The purpose of this paperis to explore whether this impression is, in fact,based in truth. Using a sample ofprofessional women drawn from the PSID during theyears 1968–1992, we estimatethe probability of withdrawing from the labor forceat one, two and five year intervalsafter the birth of a child. We use several differentmeasures of labor force withdrawaland find that women who gave birth in recent years aremore likely to report zero hoursof work two years after the birth of a child when comparedto women who gave birthearlier in the sample period. Thus, we find some supportfor the conjecture that moreprofessional women are opting to stay home and raisechildren in lieu of aggressivelypursuing their careers. We do not find any differencesby cohort, indicating that thisphenomenon cuts across women of all childbearingages. However, our results are notrobust across different measures of labor forcewithdrawal, nor are they consistent acrosspostpartum time intervals.     

The future in their hands: Graduating student midwives’ plans,job satisfaction and the desire to work in midwifery continuity of care

BackgroundMidwife-led continuity of care models benefit women and the midwives who work in them. Australian graduate midwives are familiar with, and educated to provide, continuity of care to women although the opportunity to work exclusively in positions providing continuity of care on graduation is uncommon.AimTo explore the immediate and aspirational employment plans and workforce choices, reasons for staying in midwifery and perceptions around factors likely to influence job satisfaction of midwives about to graduate from one Australian university during the years 2012–2016.MethodsThis longitudinal study draws on survey responses from five cohorts of midwifery students in their final year of study.FindingsNinety five out of 137 midwifery students responded to the survey. Almost nine out of ten respondents either aspired to work in a continuity of care model or recognised that they would gain job satisfaction by providing continuity of care to women. Factors leading to job satisfaction identified included making a difference to the women for whom they care, working in models of care which enabled them to provide women with ‘the care I want to give’, and having the ability to make autonomous midwifery decisions.ConclusionAligning early graduate work experiences with continuity of care models may have a positive impact on the confidence and professional development of graduate midwives, which in turn may lead to greater satisfaction and retention among a workforce already committed to supporting the maternity healthcare reform agenda.     

Lighting the Pathway to Adulthood Experience of a teacher from a rural primary school

The Model Primary School is a rural school located in a region joining the town and country in Jiamusi City,Heilongjiang Province.Sex education is a new idea and has never been taught there before. Two years ago,I had my first experience teaching a sex education class.During the first class,I blushed with embarrassment and found it difficult to talk about     

Do coresidency and financial transfers from the children reduce the need for elderly parents to works in developing countries?

Do elderly parents use coresidence with or financial transfers from children to reduce their own labour supply in old age? This paper is one of only a few studies that seeks to formally model elderly labour supply in the context of a developing country while taking into account coresidency with and financial transfers from children. We find little evidence that support from children—either through transfers or coresidency—substitutes for elderly parents’ need to work. Thus, as in developed countries, there is a role for public policy to enhance the welfare of the elderly population.     

Do more equal slices shrink the cake? An empirical investigation of tax-transfer reform proposals in Italy

A crucial issue in efficiency-equality evaluations of tax reforms resides in the possibility that the level as well as the distribution of welfare may change, where the household-specific measures of welfare capture the value of income as well as the value of leisure. A better-designed redistribution and income support system may not only foster equality but also improve the configuration of incentives and by this route contribute in its turn to efficiency. This paper presents an empirical analysis of the welfare effects for married couples of replacing the Italian tax system by three alternative hypothetical reforms: a flat tax, a negative income tax, and a work fare scheme. We employ a microeconometric model of household labour supply that represents partners simultaneous choices, allows for constraints in the choice of hours of work, and is sufficiently flexible to capture a large variety of supply responses. These features appear to be crucial in the evaluation of reform effects. The results suggest that there is scope for improving upon the current system under both the efficiency and the equality criterion. The benefits from the reforms, however, come from unexpected directions since the largest labour supply contribution come from poor and middle class households whereas rich households appear to be much less responsive to changes in the tax rates. The simulation results reveal that a crucial role in shaping the results is played by the relatively higher behavioural responsiveness of married women living in low and average income households.All correspondence to Ugo Colombino. We would like to thank Tom Wennemo for skilful programming assistance, Anne Skoglund for technical assistance and word processing, K.A. Breke and E. Holmøy and an anonymous referee for useful comments. Special thanks to Dino Rizzi (University of Venezia), who provided us with a program written by him for the simulation of the direct and inverse 1993 tax-transfer rules (Rizzi 1996). Part of the paper was written when Aaberge and Strøm were visiting ICER and the Department of Economics in Torino. ICER is gratefully acknowledged for providing financial support and excellent working conditions. Ugo Colombino gratefully acknowledges financial and organisational support from Statistics Norway and the Department of Economics in Oslo, and from the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MURST research grants 1998 and 2000). Responsible editor: Alessandro Cigno.