The relative importance of the components of urban growth in Latin America

Four generalizations are made. 1/ Despite the varying interpretations made by the respective authors, previous studies indicate that urban growth in Latin America is caused by both rural-urban migration and a positive rate of urban natural increase. Thus to ascribe Latin American urban growth to a single prime causal factor is a misleading oversimplification. 2/ Net in-migration apparently plays a larger role in determining the rate of growth of large metropolitan centers than is the case with smaller urban areas. 3/ A significant portion of urban growth in a given intercensal period may be attributed to the growth of localities previously too small to be classified as “urban”. 4/ Urban natural increase is the weighted sum of the natural increase of in-migrants (after their arrival) and urban natives. Improper recognition of this last point may lead to an overstatement of the relative importance of urban natural increase as a component of urban growth.     

Differential fertility and family limitation in an urban community of Uttar Pradesh

The study relates to an investigation of the fertility pattern of a sample of 1018 wives drawn from Lucknow and Kanpur, the two biggest cities of Uttar Pradesh. The sample is stratified with respect to religion and caste, and income. It reveals significant inter-community differences, Muslims and low-caste Hindus showing nearly equal fertility, and high-caste Hindus and Christians showing comparatively lower levels. The proportion of small families (three children or less) is obviously higher in groups with lower fertility, but there is a wide measure of dispersion in each group. Fertility is seen to decline with a rise in income, but not until we cross the income level of Rs 300 per month. Consistent with the differential trends in fertility, striking variations are also observed in the extent of contraceptive practice in different groups. Groups with lower fertility also show a higher frequency of birth control. Birth controllers have lower fertility than the non-controllers, and birth control appears to play a not inconsequential rôle in causing differential trends in fertility.     

Analysis of components of demographic change

"There exist a number of approaches to analysis of the components of difference between demographic rates using standardization techniques. A generalization of some of these methods, for an arbitrary number of components and an arbitrary analytical function of them, is shown to be the theoretically best choice when the analytical function is linear in each of the components and when linear change is assumed for each of the components. Also, a very close approximation to an exact decomposition for the most general case can be obtained when dealing with change over time and time series data are available."     

Social components of metropolitan population densities

The decline of population density from the center of metropolitan areas can be expressed mathematically as: d _r = d _o e ^gr where d _r is the population density of a subarea at distance r from the center, d _o is the hypothetical density at the center, and g is the population-density gradient, empirically always negative. Expanding this exponential model permits examining systematically the relationship between distance from center and various components of population density—housing-unit density, vacant units, household size, and group-quarters population-and the change over time in these components. For the metropolitan areas of Columbus, Dayton, Hartford, Miami, and Syracuse in 1950 and 1960, housing-unit density decreased from the center more sharply than population density. Vacancies, which increased slightly at the center, were proportionately low in the stable middle zones but somewhat higher in the rapidly growing outer zones. While household size decreased around the center between 1950 and 1960, on the periphery it remained constant or increased slightly because of increased family size. During the same decade, the group-quarters population, relative to total population, shifted outward from the center to the periphery to a small extent.     

Socioeconomic determinants of China's urban fertility

This paper examines socioeconomic forces other than population policies and family planning programs that have affected the fertility transition in urban China. The authors argue that before and since the intensification of population planning activities, the government influenced fertility directly and indirectly through socialization of the economy, the transformation of the Chinese family, and the provision of education, employment, health, medical, welfare, cultural, and related services in urban areas. The various social institutions and subsystems of society have greatly weakened the motivation for large families. The byproducts of the slow urbanization process in urban China including housing shortages, unemployment, rising living standards, changes in the cost of raising a child, and urban-rural downward mobility have affected the social and economic costs of childbearing, which in turn have affected the postponement of childbearing. Thus, our considerations of urban China's fertility transition must be broadened to include the issues of social development strategy in Chinese urban experience.     

Ethnic segregation in urban Israel

Using an ecological perspective, one aspect of the relationship of social distance and physical distance is analyzed in the three largest cities in Israel. The principal aim of the paper is to examine ethnic (country of origin) residential segregation as an indicator of social patterning within the society. p ]Despite the different demographic, topographical and functional characteristics of the three cities, fairly similar patterns of ethnic segregation are found using the technique of Smallest Space Analysis (SSA-I) to analyze index of dissimilarity matrices. Patterns of ethnic segregation are then related to the SES of sub-quarters to determine the nature of the internal structure of the cities. p ]It is suggested that ethnicity is an important variable in the process of social stratification in urban Israel, at least insofar as ecological relationships are concerned.     

Identifying components comprising neighborhood quality of life

This research identified factors affecting neighborhood quality of life. A total of 140 men and women from diverse groups throughout the San Francisco Bay area participated. Each person completed a critical incident questionnaire reporting specific events within the neighborhood that affected his or her quality of life. Analysis of 695 incidents resulted in 17 factors within five main areas: (a) Environmental and Physical Conditions, (2) Economic Conditions, (3) Facilities and Services, (4) Political Conditions, and (5) Personal Characteristics and Interpersonal Relationships. The approach and results can be used to study impacts of specific social policies on neighborhoods and their residents.     

Measuring components of family planning program effort

The measures of family planning program effort developed by Lapham and Mauldin have played a key role in family planning program analysis, but surprisingly little is known about them. This article investigates the measurement of family planning program effort based on data reflecting conditions circa 1982 in 100 developing countries. Using confirmatory factor analytic techniques, it tests some hypotheses implicit in the work of Mauldin and Lapham. Since the data do not fully support these hypotheses, an alternative conceptualization is proposed that consists of eight rather than four components. The discussion focuses on the expanded set of components and includes an assessment of the empirical indicators associated with them.     

The dimensionality of the urban functional system

This paper suggests that the formulation and testing of hypotheses relating the functional role of cities in a society to other urban structure and process variables might be facilitated by substituting a continuous variable approach to the functional system for the prevailing discrete typologies. Using variables indexing the scope of economic activities in U.S. communities at two points in time, we elaborate a technique for identifying the dimensions underlying an existing typology, and the 56 largest SMSA’s are ranked along these dimensions.     

城市新移民的社区融入与社会排斥——成都市社区个案研究

本文以社会排斥理论作为概念工具,对城市新移民的城市社区融入问题进行研究。笔者从新移民和城市居民两个不同的角度收集资料,根据新移民的职业、在城市的居住时间和长期居住意愿选取典型个案。笔者从经济排斥、社会关系排斥和文化排斥三个方面进行分析。认为社会排斥是新移民社区融入的壁垒所在,缓解消除社会排斥,实现社区参与、社会交往的“破冰”,是形成社区内社会关系“互构共变”的基础,是城市新移民真正融入社区的前提。     

Thailand’s urban population reconsidered

In lieu of any official definition of “urban population” in Thailand, researchers and policy makers have generally used a simple urban-rural dichotomy, relying upon the administratively designated municipal areas as urban and the remainder of the kingdom as rural. For administrative purposes, however, a more refined set of residence categories is available: the “urban” segment is subdivided into three categories of municipal areas; within the “rural” group, units of population concentration classified as sanitary districts are distinguished from the remainder of the rural population. Data from a 1970 census sample tape have been used to analyze a number of socioeconomic characteristics, as well as migration and fertility, for each of these five residence categories separately in an attempt to determine if the formerly used rural-urban dichotomy is valid. For each of the characteristics and for migration and fertility, a clear urban-rural continuum emerges, with the sanitary districts generally resembling the smaller urban places more than they do the rural areas under which they are usually subsumed. The evaluation thus suggests the importance to research and policy either of using an urban-rural continuum or of grouping sanitary districts with municipal areas when a dichotomy must be used. Doing so should facilitate evaluation of the interrelations between urbanization and demographic and development factors.     

Differential fertility in Puerto Rico

In spite of high overall fertility Puerto Rico exhibits fertility differentials resembling those in areas where birth rates are low. The fertility of whites exceeds that of non-whites, educational standards influence child-bearing and there is a rural urban differential of long standing. These differences are documented in the paper and their implication for future population development in Puerto Rico is discussed     

Social determinants of under-five mortality in urban Bangladesh

Journal of Population Research - Rapid urbanization and persistent health inequity are two significant phenomena in contemporary developing world. Urban population, albeit with more modern...     

Exploring an analytic model of urban housing strata

An analytic model of urban housing strata is developed which utilizes housing structure type, housing tenure type, floor size, physical quality, residential area, and number of rooms to calculate a housing deficit for each housing characteristic. The housing norm is subtracted from the actual housing conditions. Each housing deficit value is weighted according to the priority of the 6 variables and then summed as the housing strata score. Negative scores are below the norm and positive ones above. The model is applied to empirical data for Seoul, Korea. The findings were that 66% of the family sample showed negative scores (unsatisfactory housing conditions). Scores range from -22 to =or+ 18. Morris and Winter's "housing adjustment model" is used to explain housing behavior when there is a gap between housing conditions and the norm. Housing behavior is analyzed with multiple regression analysis of housing strata, social strata, and family life stage variables. Findings indicate that the establishment stage in the family life cycle is more likely to be associated with upper housing strata. From the way the model is set up only those in the establishment, childbearing, and child-rearing stage could get a positive deficit housing score. Size of household is not statistically significant, but upper housing strata are reflective of families with 2.5 members. Those with 3-4.5 members may be in the upper middle housing strata. Those with 5 children are in the lower middle housing strata. Housing strata are significantly related to housing structure type, tenure type, and size and number of rooms. The high rise apartment is likely to be in the upper, the row house and multifamily house in the lower housing, and the single detached house is distributed through all 4 strata. Home ownership is highest in the upper strata. The proportion of housing with 18 pyong and 2 rooms is higher in the lower strata, while housing with 19-32 pyong (63-106 sq. ms) and 3 rooms is higher in the middle housing strata. Housing satisfaction is significantly explained by housing strata but not general social strata (r = .13). Propensity to move is explained by family life stage followed by housing strata.     

The prediction of preference for unfamiliar urban places

Preferences for unfamiliar urban environments were studied as a function of urban categories, viewing time, and four predictor variables: complexity, coherence, identifiability, and mystery. A nonmetric factor analysis of the preference ratings for the longest viewing-time condition yielded five dimensions: Contemporary Life, Alley/Factory, Urban Nature, Unusual Architecture, and Older Buildings. The five categories differed significantly in preference, with Urban Nature by far the most preferred and Alley/Factory distinctly disliked. The combination of low coherence and high complexity characterizes the least liked Alley/Factory category, while the role of mystery in the urban setting is highlighted by the most preferred Urban Nature category. The results point to various ways in which the urban environment could be more responsive to people's preferences.This research was supported in part by a grant from the Grand Valley State Colleges Research Development Fund to Thomas Herzog and in part by the Urban Forestry Unit of the U.S. Forest Service's North Central Experimental Station in a cooperative research agreement with R. Kaplan and S. Kaplan.     

中国西部城市贫困问题研究--以甘肃省为例

城市贫困已成为我国现今城市发展中的一个突出问题。本文在对贫困相关概念界定的基础上,通过对我国西部地区城市贫困现状的分析,揭示出其产生和扩大的深刻原因并由此提出一系列可供选择的政策建议。     

Estimates of induced abortion in urban North Carolina

In 1965, Warner developed an interviewing procedure designed to eliminate evasive answer bias when questions of a sensitive nature are asked. He called the procedure ‘randomized response.’ The authors have been studying the technique for several years and, in this paper, are reporting some of the estimates of induced abortion in urban North Carolina using randomized response. Estimates of the proportion of women having an abortion during the past year among women 18–44 years of age are reported. For the study population indices were developed relating induced abortion to total conceptions for whites and nonwhites. The illegal abortion rate per 100 conceptions was estimated to be 14.9 for whites and 32.9 for nonwhites. Estimates of the proportion of women having an abortion during their lifetime among women 18 years old or over are also shown. Among ever married women, the proportion having an abortion during their lifetime declined as education increased. Estimates were high for women with 5 or more pregnancies. Most of the respondents stated that they were satisfied that the randomized response approach would not reveal their personal situation. Furthermore, they did not think their friends would truthfully respond to adirect question regarding abortion.