Birth Spacing and Child Survival: A Cautionary Note Regarding the Evidence from the WFS

In this paper results recently published in this journal concerning the influence of birthspacing on child survival are reviewed, and two reasons are suggested why the statistical associations observed in the data collected in the World Fertility Survey may be, at least in part, spurious. Where reporting is poor, it is argued that errors may often be responsible for a substantial portion of the association between interval length and mortality, and also for the apparent influence of the death of one child on the survival prospects of a younger sibling. Where the reported dates of birth and death are reliable but contraceptive prevalence is high, there is the problem that contraceptive practice is apt to be closely associated with other behaviour likely to have a direct effect on mortality.     

Fertility, union status and partners in the WFS Guyana and Jamaica Surveys, 1975-1976

Abstract In this paper differences in the level of fertility are examined according to women's union status and their number mf partners. A number of approaches are used to analyse these relationships: differentials by current union status, the pattern of union history, and a measure of the sum synthetic composed of periods spent in each type of union, are discussed. The trend in these differentials is also analysed; using earlier surveys and census data forcomparison, we find that union status differentials have changed noticeably since the 1950s. Fertility differentials by number of partners (or the second measure proposed - number of dissolutioom) are also analysed. The data suggest that the long-existing interrelationship between union history and number of partners has now resulted in changing union status differentials within the new context of increasing use of contraception.     

Questions of identity in the millennium round of Commonwealth censuses

All Commonwealth census authorities have posed questions about identity in the millennium round of enumerations. The most controversial issue has been ethnicity. No universal definition or classification system has been devised and each of the 71 states and dependencies has tended to pursue the enquiry in virtual isolation from its neighbours. The attempt to describe the population in terms of race and ethnicity has been inherited from the colonial era. More recently the requirements of monitoring affirmative-action programmes in multicultural populations have resulted in the introduction or refinement of questions on these categories. A few states-a small minority of Commonwealth countries-remain hostile to such enquiries. Where the issues of race and identity are not pursued, questions of nationality, language, and religion often fill the gaps left, adding further refinements to the definition of identity. An examination of current questioning about identity in Commonwealth censuses reveals a highly complex picture.     

1990 census round: meeting users' needs is seen as key to successful dissemination

"Dissemination and marketing of census products were...major topics at the Thirteenth Population Census Conference of census directors from the Asian-Pacific region, held in Honolulu in December 1990. Drawing upon papers presented at the conference,...this article describes technological developments and marketing techniques being used in the region to increase the demand for census information."     

Population activities of the United States government

The editor's comment in this issue of the journal cites 5 overlapping phases in the evolution of population and family planning programs in the United States. The phases are 1) collecting census data and vital statistics, 1790-, 2) family planning assistance to developing nations, 1963, 3) family planning assistance to the U.S. "disadvantaged," 1964-, 4) overpopulation as a national concern, 1969-, and 5) the multiple action phase, 197? (phase including diverse steps to limit population growth and occurring after basic attitudes toward human reproduction have changed). The issue of the journal focuses on total population size and rates of population increase rather than on the distribution of population, and on federal action rather than on the activities of state and local governments. The editor's comment is followed by an extensive discussion of population activities of the United States government, especially since 1963. Topics discussed include demographic data, international programs, research, federally subsidized family planning services, medical care programs, educational and international programs, national growth policy, and the roles of the legislative and executive branches of government. A directory listing federal agencies with substantial and identifiable programs concerned with population and family planning is appended.     

Some roots of preference: Roles,activities and familial values

This paper examines some of the connecting links between modernization in a developing society, particularly urbanization and increased education for women, and preferences for number of children. Using 1973 Taiwan data, preferences for smaller families are found to be consistently related to modern attitudes and behavior in the three domains examined: intrafamilial husband-wife role relationships, extrafamilial activities of the wife, and familial and religious values relating the family to the larger institutional setting. Modernization of these attitudes, behaviors, and values has an impact on reproductive goals independent of their association with structural variables. The wife's outside activities and exposure to modern influences through the mass media are especially important linkages, having a particularly strong mediating effect in the education effect on preferences. Intrafamilial relations appear to be of less importance. Modernization of familial and religious values mediates between urbanization and family size preferences. The measure of preference used is a scale value which has been found in other research to be more predictive of reproductive behavior than the conventional single-valued statement of number of children wanted. As the level of contraceptive use rises in developing societies, family size preferences increasingly become a factor in birth rates, and understanding the sources of change in these preferences takes on added importance. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.     

The enjoyment of activities: Do couples affect each others' well-being?

In this paper I investigate the use of a measure of well-being derived from time-use data on the enjoyment of activities, and explore the association between the well-being of partners. The measure of well-being used is directly derived from the subjective assessment of the enjoyment of activities as recorded in time-use diaries. It is shown that this measure yeilds plausible results which share many of the characteristics of other measures of well-being. In addition, since the diaries used in the analysis were collected from couples it has also been possible to investigate the association between the well-being of partners. It is shown that in multivariate analyses including both time-use and socio-demographic variables the effect of a partner's well-being has by far the most significant impact on individual well-being. It is argued that this combination of information offers a useful means of analysing the relationship between time-use, well-being and the couple relationship. In this sense the analysis cross-cuts some of the conventional disciplinary boundaries which have served to separate the study of emotional relationships and psychological states from that of the daily activities of households.     

The allocation of time and goods in household activities: A test of separability

In this paper, we test for the weak separability hypothesis imposed by the household production model between goods and time inputs used in the production of different commodities. Our data come from a French survey which reports both expenditures and time that households devote to some activities. The results allow us to show that the weak separability assumption cannot be rejected only when households are strongly time constrained. In the opposite case, home time uses are found to be nonseparable. Received: 24 November 1999/Accepted: 16 November 2000     

增加农民收入与建设农村小康社会养老模式的关系分析

增加农民收入是我国农村解决"三农"问题的重要方面,同时也是解决农村全面建设小康社会养老问题的关键。农民收入低,负担过重,人口老龄化程度又不断加深,给我国农村老年人养老问题的解决带来了巨大困难。在农村全面建设小康社会历史性机遇面前,我们应综合我国农村经济发展的实际情况,采取积极有效的对策,增加农民收入,为农村养老问题的解决奠定基础。     

Education and time investment in domestic and parental activities in urban areas of Iran

Journal of Population Research - Education is considered one of the most important determinants of population change; operating through cultural change, enhancing negotiating powers or increasing...     

Trade-offs in the family: Sibling effects on daughters’ activities in 1910

This paper uses the 1910 Census Public Use Sample to examine how the presence and activities of key family members shaped the labor force activity, domestic work, and schooling of working-age daughters. There is no evidence that daughters worked to send their brothers to school; parents practiced a more egalitarian distribution of resources than the literature suggests. Having brothers and sisters in school increased a daughter’s odds of attending school herself. Similarly, daughters with employed siblings were more likely to be gainfully employed. Nonetheless, parents allocated activities to sons and daughters in ways that reinforced traditional gender roles. Working brothers increase daughters’ likelihood of working in the home, while reducing their odds of attending school.     

Assisted living, elderly women and sense of self: communicating the impact of reduction of long-standing activities

Through the use of in-depth interviews this study examines elderly women's communication about transitioning to assisted living and personal sense of self. A combination of communication and aging theory and socio historical factors aid in understanding the communication elderly women use to describe themselves within the context of life events prior to and after becoming an assisted living resident. Findings reveal that decrease in long-standing feminine sphere (traditionally female household) tasks due to the transition to assisted living is the major factor leading to the inability to communicate the sense of self. Inability to adjust and accept the downsizing of feminine sphere activities leads to several mental, physical and social implications.     

The allocation of time to social and leisure activities as social indicators for the integration of aged ethnic minorities

One way in which a better understanding of social indicators to be employed in assessing the degree of social integration of aged ethnic minorities is to determine their time-use patterns for various daily activities. This paper reports on a research project undertaken in a planned community of La Villeneuve, France, which examines (a) the social context in which various activities took place, and (b) the duration and frequency of the activities. This was achieved through the combined techniques of time-budget analysis, social network mapping, and participant observations. Our data provides another dimension appropriate for social indicators research.     

A mixed-methods investigation of successful aging among older women engaged in sports-based versus exercise-based leisure time physical activities

This mixed-methods study compares active older women in different physically based leisure activities and explores the difference in subjective ratings of successful aging and quantifiable predictors of success. A survey was administered to 256 women, 60–92 years of age, engaged in a sports- or exercise-based activity. Quantitative data were analyzed through ANOVA and multiple regression. Qualitative data (n = 79) was analyzed using the approach associated with means-end theory. While participants quantitatively appeared similar in terms of successful aging, qualitative interviews revealed differences in activity motivation. Women involved in sports highlighted social/psychological benefits, while those involved in exercise-based activities stressed fitness outcomes.     

上海城市生活不能自理老人生活照料状况及意愿研究

本文以1999年《上海市生活不能自理老人家庭照料和社会支持调查》的数据为依据,分析了上海市生活不能自理老人的家庭基本情况及其生活服务需求,为解决生活不能自理老人照料问题提供参考.     

"Life without line dancing and the other activities would be too dreadful to imagine": an increase in social activity for older women

The literature on aging is replete with the positive effects of physical exercise on the well-being of older adults. Some suggest, however, that the potential impact of social activities has not received adequate attention, and others note the importance of distinguishing between the physical and nonphysical impact of these activities. This study investigated whether line dancing, a physical activity, led to an increase in social activity. Thirty women over the age of 60 were interviewed to discover how line dancing affected them. Content analysis of the interviews helped identify various themes indicating that line dancing enabled these women to expand their repertoire of social activity, leading to positive reinforcements such as further community involvement, charitable work, inclusion in national sports events, self-expression, and personal development. The impact of line dancing plainly goes beyond the perceived physical benefits.     

失业率、年龄结构与人口迁移率的相关性研究

用定性与定量相结合的方法,从理论及实践两种角度,对影响人口迁移的主要因素进行了分析,指出：人口年龄结构及失业率是人口迁移率大小的决定因素。在此基础上,对影响我国人口迁移的相关性因素进行了分析,并对 21世纪我国人口的迁移做了预测。     

寿命学的难题

寿命学研究的根本宗旨和归宿是揭示延长寿命的理论导向和途径,其核心问题是延长预期寿命使之日益接近最大寿命,甚至与最大寿命重合.但是,达到这一目标及其困难,甚至是不能实现的遐想.我们只能尽一切可能使两者更加接近,完全重合是在可望而不及的未来.