Examined interrelationships between religion, religiosity, and religious education in determining the pacing of second births. Tested hypotheses using data from the 1973 National Survey of Family Growth. Results indicated that religiosity was more important in determining pacing of second births among Catholics and women who received sectarian…

This paper suggests a reexamination of governmental involvement, and after a careful analysis of pertinent research on marriage and family support systems, proposes the creation of a cabinet-status U.S. Department of Marriage and the Family. The historical background, rationale, constitutionality, and political opportuneness of the proposed…

Fifty-nine married women with exactly two children were questioned about their intentions to have a third child. Findings were contrasted with previous disappointing results in studies of the psychological correlates of fertility, and practical implications of the findings for fertility change programs were discussed. (Author)

Examined effects of community context on likelihood of experiencing sexual intercourse among 566 black and 1,286 nonblack adolescent women. Findings suggest that likelihood of first intercourse and subsequent sexual behavior among both races are shaped by social disorganization, socioeconomic status, religiosity, female labor force participation,…

Partial support is found for the relationship between family size preferences and size of family of orientation. However, it is suggested that this relationship holds most strongly under conditions of little intergenerational change in lifestyle, a limitation not noted in earlier work. (Author)

Reduction in fertility of remarried women relative to once married women was investigated. When marital history of husband was controlled, it became evident that a greater reduction of fertility was observed among women with previously married husbands than among remarried women whose husbands had not been previously married. (Author)

Examines the influence of parents, peers, and partners on teenage women's contraceptive-seeking behavior and identifies sources of variation in the amount and direction of influence. (Author/ABB)

Factor analysis of questionnaire responses from 313 college students revealed that concern about overpopulation was a highly significant predictor of the number of children the respondents wanted. While the average number of children desired was 3.02, the majority of respondents accepted abortion and approximately one-third accepted sterilization…

The data suggest that there is some preference for sons although generally couples prefer to have children of both sexes. The general lack of a strong son preference is interpreted in terms of broader social and cultural patterns characteristic of Thai families. (Author)

Three interrelated aspects of fertility were investigated: existence of childbearing norms; strength of reinforcing social sanctions; and influence of social structural factors on incorporation of norms. Findings based on questionnaire data from 84 parent and nonparent couples were examined to evaluate utility of normative versus structural…

This paper reports a test of Easterlin's (1973) hypothesis that marital fertility is more a function of relative than actual income. Results indicate actual income exercised a significant positive effect on marital fertility at all points in time while relative income did not. (Author)

Knowledge of the existence of birth control clinics is seen as a function of proximity to clinics, friendliness of neighborhood, and propensity to discuss birth control with neighbors. A conceptual model is developed to illustrate variables contributing to the diffusion of birth control information in a public health family planning program.…

A study of student attitudes toward family size, use of contraceptives, authoritarian, permissive approaches to childrearing, parental responsibilities of the husband and wife and divorce. Hypotheses concerning determinants of these attitudes are also tested. (JC)

Occupation, education, and income of the husbands reported by wives were used as measures of socioeconomic status. The findings show an inverse relationship between three measures of socioeconomic status and fertility pattern, and that the Shirazi couples prefer smaller families as they become richer and more educated. (Author)