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Contraception in a Risk Society—A New Approach to Studying Reproductive Behaviour

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Fertility Control in a Risk Society

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Population Studies ((BRIEFSPOPULAT))

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Abstract

Globalization has affected social attitudes, norms, and physical environment. While the import of Western ideas and models has led to a relaxation of traditional norms and attitudes governing sexuality, the economic reorganization of society through restructuring of production systems in developing countries has led to the emergence of new forms of stress and uncertainty. This has resulted in the creation of a risk society. Changes in the physical environment—consisting of factors such as long hours, uncertainty in workplace, poor transport system, and rise in temperatures—affect males more strongly, affecting their sexuality. Simultaneously, working place stress and concurrent demands imposed upon working women by the labour market and home influence their fertility decisions as having a child imposes substantial costs on the parents, particularly the women. These factors are hypothesized to influence fertility decisions and contraception choice—rather than standard factors studied in demographic theory and surveys. We conclude by presenting ethnographic evidence in support of our conceptual framework.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The result is not a unilinear movement towards a more permissive society. Clashes can, and do, occur between traditional structures and agents of change. This may lead to temporary rollbacks.

  2. 2.

    This has lead to the phenomenon of “living together but separately”, with the maintaining of multigenerational ties even though they do not reside together. This is particularly important in the case of child care (Husain and Dutta 2013).

  3. 3.

    An interesting strategy to minimize such conflict is to adopt children straightaway, without trying to have children of their own.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India

    Zakir Husain

  2. Department of Economics, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Mousumi Dutta

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  1. Zakir Husain
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  2. Mousumi Dutta
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Correspondence to Zakir Husain .

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Husain, Z., Dutta, M. (2017). Contraception in a Risk Society—A New Approach to Studying Reproductive Behaviour. In: Fertility Control in a Risk Society. SpringerBriefs in Population Studies. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3685-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3685-6_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New Delhi

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