Cultural forces tending to sustain high fertility.

Abstract

High fertility rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are based on a culture molded by religion that encourages repeated childbearing and abhors sterility at any stage. major components include: 1) traditional religion and its effect on fertility; 2) barrenness subfecundity and child death; 3) changing beliefs and culture; 4) political leadership and fertility control; 5) land tenure; 6) the SSA African family; 7) safety in numbers; 8) prestige; and 9) birth control. In this comprehensive and historical review of the basic socio-cultural and religious issues in SSA Western readers will learn a great deal about the belief systems and worldview of Africans and understand the Africans sensitivity towards modern contraception. The engine of for health and reproductive behavior will be the secularization of the society by external cultural forces. Secularization in this case refers to the slow removal of certain thoughts and behavior from peoples religious beliefs. Education and modernization will accelerate change in Africas religious and cultural belief systems.

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