Journal of Japanese Studies · 1984 · 47 citations · 0 references
Social SciencesDemographyEconomicsFamily DemographyFertilityHousehold DemographyFamily EconomicsFertility DeclineFertility HistoryHousehold EconomicsIndustrializationReproductive HistoryFertility BehaviorFertility Decline Across CohortsFertility Rate DeclineFertility Transition TheoryHousehold ReproductionPatriarchal TheoryPeasant DemographyPeasant Family Structure
“Patriarchy and Fertility: Japan and Sweden, 1860-1960” presents a life cycle model of the patriarchal peasant family. It applies the model to an analysis of the decline in fertility in both Japan and Sweden over the period 1880-1960, demonstrating that it offers a convincing explanation why the Hutterite indices for fertility evolved as they did in both countries. A key proposition is that industrialization diminishes the leverage with the patriarch enjoys over the fates of his children, thereby eroding the incentive for large family sizes.