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Published on: October 13, 2018
Reproductive behavior during the pre-transitional period: evidence from rural Bologna
The Journal of Interdisciplinary History
|April 26, 2012
Summary
Child mortality shortened birth intervals, highlighting breastfeeding's role in birth spacing. Sharecroppers had higher childbirth risk and stable fertility, unlike wage earners affected by price changes.
Area of Science:
- Demographic History
- Socioeconomic History
- Fertility Studies
Background:
- Examined socioeconomic transformations' impact on fertility mechanisms in rural Bologna (1818-1900).
- Focused on the early demographic transition period.
- Utilized a longitudinal, micro-level study approach.
Observation:
- Investigated the relationship between child mortality and birth spacing.
- Analyzed the influence of household economic structure (sharecropping vs. daily wage labor) on fertility.
- Assessed the impact of price fluctuations on reproductive behavior.
Findings:
- Premature death of a last-born child significantly reduced the interval between childbirths, confirming breastfeeding's importance in birth spacing.
- Women in complex sharecropping households had a higher risk of childbirth compared to daily wage earners.
- Sharecroppers' reproductive behavior was largely unaffected by short-term price changes, while laborers showed a negative price effect.
- A slight, gradual decrease in fertility levels was observed throughout the study period.
Implications:
- Provides micro-level evidence on fertility determinants during the demographic transition.
- Highlights the differential impact of socioeconomic factors on reproductive patterns.
- Informs historical demographic research and socioeconomic analyses of family structures.
