Education and the World's Most Rapid Fertility Decline in Iran

A first analysis of the Iran 2006 census results shows a sensationally low fertility level of 1.9 for the whole country and only 1.5 for the Tehran area (which has about 8 million people). The lowest total fertility rate of 1.3 was recorded for Gilan and Mazandaran provinces. In a recent study, Abbasi-Shavazi and McDonald (2006) emphasized the likely role of greatly improved female education in this trend. However, this hypothesis has not been thoroughly tested and they have not yet provided any formal analysis on this important factor. In the conclusions they express the expectation that fertility in Iran would continue to fall well below replacement level. This paper follows up on the Abbasi-Shavazi and McDonald (2006) paper in two important ways: 1) It presents fertility estimates based on the 2006 census which indicate a substantial further fertility decline; and 2) it presents reconstructions (back to 1970) and projections (to 2030) of the population of Iran by age, sex and level of educational attainment. It decomposes quantitatively to what extent this precipitous fertility decline can be attributed to the rapidly increasing educational attainment of women, and draws more general conclusions for theories of fertility decline

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a promising treatment for infertility. It can potentially solve many intolerable difficulties that the infertile couples and their families face. Although initially frowned upon, evidence shows that the surrogacy arrangements are more acceptable now than when it was first introduced. Therefore, changes in the attitude in decision making about surrogacy can also be seen in some countries, but there are still indications of the degree of divergence between discourse and the actual practice of different forms of surrogacy around the world. Social, ethical and legal problems are subject to major debates and disagreements in natural or partial surrogacy or genetically unrelated full surrogacy. Genetic gestation surrogacy may largely free from social, legal and moral complications. It is a great choice of infertility treatment if the couple want their own genetic baby, but it still requires more thoughts and discussion. This chapter attempts to discuss the different notions related to surrogacy worldwide

Immigrant fertility in West Germany: is there a socialization effect in transitions to second and third births?

In this paper on immigrant fertility in West Germany, we estimate the transition rates to second and third births, using intensity-regression models. The data come from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study. We distinguish women of the first and the second immigrant generations originating from Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy, and Spain, and compare their fertility levels to those of West German women. In the theoretical framework, we discuss competing hypotheses on migrant fertility. The findings support mainly the socialization hypothesis: the transition rates of first-generation immigrants vary by country of origin, and the fertility patterns of migrant descendants resemble more closely those of West Germans than those of the first immigrant generation. In addition, the analyses show that fertility differentials between immigrants and women of the indigenous population can largely, though not in full, be explained by compositional differences.Dans cet article relatif à la fécondité des immigrées en Allemagne, le passage du premier au deuxieme enfant et dans celui du deuxieme au troisieme enfant est estimé à partir de modèles de régression à risques instantanés. Les données utilisées proviennent de l’étude de Panel socio-économique allemand. On distingue les femmes immigrées de première ou de seconde génération originaires de Turquie, d’ex-Yougoslavie, de Grèce, d’Italie et d’Espagne, et leurs niveaux de fécondité sont comparés à ceux des femmes ouest-allemandes d’origine. Des hypothèses concurrentes sur la fécondité des immigrés sont discutées dans le cadre théorique. Les résultats vérifient principalement l’hypothèse de la socialisation : le passage au deuxieme et au troisieme enfant de la première génération d’immigrés varie selon le pays d’origine, et le profil de fécondité par âge des descendantes d’immigrées se rapproche plus de celui des femmes ouest-allemandes que de celui des immigrées de première génération. De plus, les analyses montrent que les différences de fécondité entre les immigrées et les femmes ouest-allemandes peuvent être en grande partie, mais pas totalement, expliquées par des différences de structure

Correlates of unintended pregnancy among currently pregnant married women in Nepal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women living in every country, irrespective of its development status, have been facing the problem of unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy is an important public health issue in both developing and developed countries because of its negative association with the social and health outcomes for both mothers and children. This study aims to determine the prevalence and the factors influencing unintended pregnancy among currently pregnant married women in Nepal.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This paper reports on data drawn from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) which is a nationally representative survey. The analysis is restricted to currently pregnant married women at the time of survey. Association between unintended pregnancy and the explanatory variables was assessed in bivariate analysis using Chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to assess the net effect of several independent variables on unintended pregnancy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than two-fifth of the currently pregnant women (41%) reported that their current pregnancy was unintended. The results indicate that age of women, age at first marriage, ideal number of children, religion, exposure to radio and knowledge of family planning methods were key predictors of unintended pregnancy. Experience of unintended pregnancy augments with women's age (odds ratio, 1.11). Similarly, increase in the women's age at first marriage reduces the likelihood of unintended pregnancy (odds ratio, 0.93). Those who were exposed to the radio were less likely (odds ratio, 0.63) to have unintended pregnancy compared to those who were not. Furthermore, those women who had higher level of knowledge about family planning methods were less likely to experience unintended pregnancy (odds ratio, 0.60) compared to those having lower level of knowledge.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>One of the important factors contributing to high level of maternal and infant mortality is unintended pregnancy. Programs should aim to reduce unintended pregnancy by focusing on all these identified factors so that infant and maternal mortality and morbidity as well as the need for abortion are decreased and the overall well-being of the family is maintained and enhanced.</p

Changing patterns of migration from Afghanistan: Implications for Australia

Presentation to Session on Future Fellows, APA Conference, Melbourne, 7 December 2012.Over the last quarter of a century, refugee and other forced migration has increased substantially not only in scale but also in complexity and diversity. These changes have meant that traditional approaches to management and solution of refugee situations and protection of refugees have become less appropriate. The present study investigates several dimensions of the changing situation with respect to refugees, particularly Afghan refugees, as a basis for developing appropriate theoretical frameworks, relevant policy and program recommendations for providing protection for migrants, the solution of refugee problems and maximising the benefits of migration to origin and destination areas. Afghanistan remains one of the world’s poorest countries; with its development, health, and socioeconomic indicators lying near the bottom of most rankings. As a result of the political upheavals in Afghanistan since the late 1970s, the flow of refugees and other migrants between Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and several third countries including Australia has been one of the largest global migration systems over the last quarter century. Utilizing various datasets drown from recently conducted surveys in Iran and Australia, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of: (a) the structure, scale and spatial patterning of movements; (b) the characteristics of movers; (c) the drivers of the different types of movements; (d) the impacts of different types of migration on Iran, Australia, Afghanistan and the migrants themselves; and (e) the nature of the relationships between refugee migration on the one hand and other types of mobility. The study will also examines the degree and process of adaptation of Afghan refugees and migrants in the two destination places, and the extent to which these patterns influence their settlement in the destination place or return strategies to their homeland or to third country/ies.Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal; Graeme Hugohttp://www.apaconference.com.au

Forced and refugee migration in Asia

Most Asian populations are ageing, but the degree varies considerably. Patterns of ageing since 1950 show six relatively homogeneous geographically-defined groups. The causes of ageing are demographic transition and emigration. Rapid economic development and demographic transition are associated with advanced ageing, while warfare and slow development are associated with delayed demographic transition and reverse ageing. The consequences of population ageing include two main social security challenges: retirement income support and personal care provision. Traditional support systems are uncertain in the context of increased longevity, small families, changed gender relations, out-migration for employment and the modern economy. However, the intergenerational contract is generally upheld through adaptations (including diversified living arrangements, monetary transfers and gifts, attitudinal change, revised expectations and a relaxation of customary roles) that often do not adversely affect elder well-being. The establishment of formal old-age social security systems in Asia has been slow. System reform is beginning to meet the challenges of fiscal sustainability posed by ongoing ageing. Social pensions are becoming more commonplace and, though their value remains low, are instrumental in reducing poverty and increasing well-being in old age. Policies supporting adaptation will enhance the well-being of both older and working generations

Fluidization and packed bed behaviour in capillary tubes

Packed and fluidised beds in microfluidic devices offer the potential of enhanced heat and mass transfer capability at a scale where the process can be closely controlled. The knowledge of hydrodynamics of packed and fluidized beds in capillary tubes is essential for the design and optimization of such devices. This study experimentally examines the hydrodynamics of packed and fluidized beds in terms of pressure drop, bed expansion and minimum fluidization velocity in tube sizes with inner diameters of 0.8, 1.2 and 17.1 mm. Specifically the effect of particle-wall interaction on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the beds was examined by changing the tube-to-particle diameter ratio. It was found that as the tube diameter reduces the bed voidage sharply increases leading to a reduction in the pressure drop across the bed. Also a distinctive rise in pressure drop was observed at lower tube-to-particle diameter ratios which are found to be associated with the particle-wall interaction