Fertility Patterns and Family Planning Behaviour

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Characteristics of the study area. 3. Conceptual framework and methodology. 4. Fertility patterns and family planning behaviour in U.P. 5. Fertility patterns in rural and urban areas of Bulandshahr district of U.P. 6. Organization and functioning of family welfare programme in Bulandshahr district of U.P. 7. Knowledge and attitude of respondents towards family welfare. 8. Practice of family welfare methods. 9. Conclusions, suggestions and policy implications. 10. Bibliography.

The analysis of fertility is of vital interest in the field of demography. Fertility is used to indicate the actual reproductive performance of woman or groups of women. The crude birth rate (number of births per thousand population per year) is only one measure of fertility. It is affected by number of socio-psychological and economic variables besides the biological capacity of reproduction. In most developing and underdeveloped countries, reducing fertility is often stated as a goal for family planning as it involves changes in social values, attitudes, norms and behaviour.

It is a well established fact that the success of family welfare programmes depend on the attitudes of the people. Nearly 70% of India's population resides in villages, where poverty, misconceived religious notions, social customs, illiteracy, ignorance, superstitions, inspite of recent changes in outlook are still the main hazards in implementing any welfare programme. As a solution to our growing population, the importance of a sociological research study of family welfare behaviour and fertility patterns is by far crying need of the hour, for its fructification involves the operation of the process of acceptance and rejection of its various aspects, both in rural and urban areas, where traditional institutions and social psychology largely determine all responses to such programme.

The present book has been an attempt to explore some of the basic critical issues relating to fertility patterns and family planning behaviour both in the rural and urban areas. The book also presents a comparative outlook of belief, knowledge, source of knowledge and practice of the family welfare methods among rural and urban people. (jacket)