Socioeconomic Indicators of Women\u27s Status in Developing Countries, 1970–1980

From 1970–1980, several conferences were held and publications produced regarding the need to improve data collection on indicators of women’s status, as well as a number of publications offering concrete proposals for such improvements. During this period, the disaggregation of statistics by sex has expanded in many countries and indicators, and such disaggregated statistics are presented with increased frequency in international data compiled by United Nations specialized organizations. In addition, two major sets of statistics on the status of women have appeared. These statistics on socioeconomic indicators of the status of women in developing countries include statistics on men as well. The data cover 45 indicators for 75 countries at the beginning and end of the 1970–1980 decade. The statistics for the end of the decade cover 76 countries, because Zimbabwe was added. This monograph differs from already published monographs because of its inclusion of different types of indicators of women’s access to education, economic participation, and social visibility; the wider coverage of national published and unpublished statistics; the time period covered by the statistics; and the extent of the analysis of the available data on different indicators

Women's income and fertility in rural Kenya

Data collected in two economically contrasting rural communities in Kenya indicate that education is not an important determinant of contraceptive use although it importantly determines the age at marriage. It is observed that women's status (as measured through women's income) is a critical factor for women's contraceptive behavior through the determination of the cost of children to mothers and the direction of flow of social and economic resources from children to mothers. Thus when women earn a high income that permits a fair degree of autonomy, their aspirations for children (especially for their education) rise and consequently they spend more on children. In absence of labour contribution by children when women's income is high, a new mother-child relationship emerges in which the child becomes a cost and not an economic asset to the mother, thus,' encouraging contraceptive use in order to lower the fertility level

The status of women: Conceptual and methodological issues in demographic studies

This paper explores several conceptual problems in social demographic studies of the status of women, including failure to recognize the multidimensionality of women's status and its variation across social “locations,” the confounding of gender and class stratification systems, and the confounding of access to resources with their control. Also discussed are some generic problems in the measurement of female status, such as the sensitivity of particular indicators to social context, and the need to select consistent comparisons when judging the extent of gender inequality.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45651/1/11206_2005_Article_BF01115740.pd

The impact of women's social position on fertility in developing countries

This paper examines ideas about possible ways in which the extent of women's autonomy, women's economic dependency, and other aspects of their position vis-à-vis men influence fertility in Third World populations. Women's position or “status” seems likely to be related to the supply of children because of its links with age at marriage. Women's position may also affect the demand for children and the costs of fertility regulation, though some connections suggested in the literature are implausible. The paper ends with suggestions for future research.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45660/1/11206_2005_Article_BF01124382.pd

La mobilité sociale des femmes en Grèce

Le sexisme sociologique est manifeste dans les études de stratification. La classe sociale d'origine ou actuelle est toujours définie par celle d'un "autre signifiant" masculin. À partir d'un échantillon expérimental de cent couples athéniens, six indicateurs de mobilité sont calculés : par comparaison entre l'éducation de la femme et l'éducation du père, de la mère, du mari; ensuite on compare le niveau professionnel de la femme avec celui du mari, du beau-père; et finalement on compare la classe sociale des deux pères. En outre ces indicateurs sont observés selon le statut de migrant (rural/urbain), selon le type de mariage (d'amour/arrangé) et selon la position sur le marché du travail (active/non active). Il s'en dégage un éclairage nouveau sur la mobilité des femmes et la valeur des indicateurs de mobilité s'en trouve validée.Sociological sexism shows up stratification studies. Social class of origin and present social class are always defined by that of a masculine "significant other". Based on an experimental sample of one hundred Athenian couples, six indicators of mobility have been calculated : first the comparison of the education of the wife with that of her husband, her father and her mother; second the comparison of the professional level of the wife with that of her husband, and of her father-in-law ; and finally the comparison of the social class of the two fathers. In addition these indicators are observed under different conditions : migrant status (rural-urban), type of marriage (love-arranged) and position in the work force (active-inactive). The results are new insights into the mobility of women and thus the value of these indicators of mobility are validated.El sexismo sociológico es manifesto en los estudios de estratificacio'n. La clase social de origen o actual es siempre definida por aquella de un "otro significante" masculino. A partir de una prueba experimental de cien parejas de Atenas, seis indicadores de movilidad son calculados : se compara entre la educación de la mujer y la educación del padre, de la madre, del marido; enseguida se compara el nivel profecional de la mujer con el del marido, del suegro; y finalmente se compara la clase social de los dos padres. Además esos indicadores son observados según el estatuto de migrante (rural/urbano), según el po de matrimonio (de amor/arreglado) y según la posición sobre el mercado de trabajo (activa/no activa). De todo esto se retira una nueva clarificación sobre la movilidad de las mujeres y la valor de los indicadores se la halla válida

Quelques aspects de la modernisation sociale aux États-Unis et en Grèce

La notion qui veut que la modernisation sociale soit liée à la modernisation technique et économique est testée par rapport à quelques critères de modernisation sociale appliqués à deux pays qui présentent des caractéristiques économiques assez différentes, les États-Unis et la Grèce. Les critères de modernisation sociale utilisés sont les options offertes aux individus et l'absence de différenciation selon le sexe de l'individu. L'examen de données relatives à six choix importants dans la vie privée et dans la vie professionnelle révèle qu'en fonction des deux critères choisis, la Grèce se situe à un niveau de modernisation sociale plus élevé que les États-Unis. On en conclut que modernisation sociale et modernisation technique et économique ne vont pas nécessairement de pair.The notion that social modernization is linked to technical or economic modernization is put to the test here through the application of criteria of social modernization to two countries with appreciably different economic characteristics - the United States and Greece. The criteria of social modernization used were the options open to the individual, and the absence of differentiation in the accessibility of such options according to sex. The analysis of data concerning six important options in private and professional life shows that in terms of the two criteria chosen, Greece has a higher level of social modernization than the United States. This leads to the conclusion that social modernization does not necessarily go hand in hand with technical and economic modernization.La noción de que la modernización social esté ligada con la modernización técnica y económica, se halla sometida a la prueba mediante de la aplicación de criterios de modernización social a dos países de carácter económico bastante diferente - los Estados Unidos y la Grecia. Los criterios empleados son las alternativas que se le presentan al individuo, y la ausencia de diferenciación de la acesibilidad de tales alternativas, según el sexo del individuo. El análisis de datos relativos a seis alternativas importantes de la vida social y profesional, revela que en funcción de los criterios escogidos, la Grecia se sitúa a un nivel de modernización más alto que los Estados Unidos. Puede concluirse que la modernización social no va de mano, necesariamente, con la modernización técnica y económica

Gender role flexibility and smallholder survival

Pluriactivity is the usual survival strategy adopted by smallholders. This strategy is effective when it is accompanied by considerable gender role flexibility that allows the combination of men's and women's farm work and farm management contributions. Interviews with 296 smallholders in rural Greece showed that the most adaptive survival strategy is adopted when pluriactive male partners legally transfer the farmer status to their wife by transferring land ownership and/or the farm management to her. The large majority of these women become integrated in the agricultural occupation both at the institutional and the farm level, their integration indicating a high degree of gender role flexibility within the farm household. Such a high degree of gender role flexibility, however, is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for farm survival. It is the official institutional recognition of women's farmer status that constitutes the determining factor for farm survival.smallholder survival; gender role flexibility; women's integration; farmland inheritance.

Poverty and gender issues

In van Koppen, Barbara; Namara, Regassa; Safilios-Rothschild, Constantina. Reducing poverty through investments in agricultural water management. Colombo, Sri Lanka: IWMIIWMI Working Paper 10