Fertility and culture in sub-Saharan Africa: A review*

Abstract

The determinants of high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa are reviewed. The impact of culture on fertility is well represented in the literature but little is known about fostering or polygyny and their impact on fertility. Strong evidence supports the notion that fertility remains high in Africa due to the entrenched patriarchal system of family and inheritance that distinguishes women as child care providers and child producers. Women are encouraged to have early marriages and are used as exchange commodities for brideswealth. Womens status and respect are dependent on high fertility without which there is sigma and disrespect. Fertility decline will occur in Africa when major changes are made in perceptions belief systems and traditions. Specifically improvements are needed in female education and labor force opportunity. The practice of brideswealth should be stopped. Women should have a greater degree of decision making within the family about the number of children. Average African fertility in 1987 was 6.7 children and ranged from 7.2 in Uganda to 4.1 in Gabon. The basic framework for understanding the determinants of fertility has been developed by Davis and Blake with eleven intermediate socioeconomic environmental and proximate variables which is further refined by Bongaarts into eight quantifiable measures called proximate determinants. Marriage patterns have been widely examined by Lesthaeghe and found to be low in West Africa high in East Africa and medium in Central and Coastal Africa. Polygyny is widespread. Brideswealth and arranged marriage have deep roots in the kinship and lineage systems. Van de Walle Caldwell and Bongaarts have all studied postpartum abstinence which has been found to vary across countries and societies. Breast feeding is universal. Frank has determined that Central Africa has the highest levels of infertility (more than 20% of women aged 45-49 years). Demand for children is widely studied. Omideyi reports that Yoruba women consider marriage meaningless without children. Acsadi and Johnson-Acsadi find that the highest family size desires are in Sub Saharan Africa. Isiugo-Abanihe indicates that child fostering is more prevalent in Sierra Leone. Page agrees that economic cost/benefit analysis is inappropriate for studying African fertility.

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