Year: 1974
Type: article
Abstract: IntroductionJapan experienced a precipitous decline in fertility during the decade following the postwar baby boom of 1947-49, and then her fertility rates leveled off.The rapid decline in fertility paralleled liberalization of abortion laws and an active campaign to disseminate contraceptive information.Given these developments and the apparent subordination of women in Japanese culture, one might be inclined to ascribe the fertility decline to increased availability of abortions and other means of birth control and to doubt the explanatory relevance of economic theory which emphasizes the effects of rising wages and educational attainment of women on fertility.The conclusion that emerges from this study, however, is that the basic economic forces identified by the new economic theory of household decision making have been operating to produce a considerable part of the observed differentials and trends in Japanese fertility.1Indeed, increased use of abortion and contraceptive devices appears to have been induced to some extent by economic forces.
Source: Journal of Political Economy
DOI: 10.1086/260299
Author: Masanori Hashimoto
Institution: University of Washington
Language: English
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1997361092