Family, fertility, and sex ratios in the British Caribbean

Abstract

This paper re-evaluates the currently held view that unstable forms of conjugal unions depress fertility in the British Caribbean. It is shown that previous investigators overlooked the important variable of persistent male shortages at the mating ages caused by heavy male emigration. Fertility trends are observed and the conclusion reached that male emigration (independent variable) has not adversely affected fertility because the ‘informal’ polygynous character of the mating system acts as an intermediate variable mitigating the effect of the independent variable on fertility. Given these male shortages it is argued that a trend toward greater stability in conjugal relations would not, as previously assumed, result in higher fertility because permanent female celibacy and the average age of first entry into sexual unions for females would rise. Finally, the paper concludes by commenting on a recent discussion concerning the causal relationship between male shortages and the persistence of marital instability in the British Caribbean. The position is taken that both of these conditions are caused by social and economic factors which are not likely to change in the near future.

An earlier draft of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, April 1969. I would like to acknowledge the advice of Professor Nicholas Tavuchis of Cornell University in all stages of this research and also D. Ian Pool, and J. Mayone Stycos of Cornell's International Population Program, and William J. Goode of Columbia University for their reading and criticism of earlier drafts. Any deficiencies in data or interpretation are of course my own.

An earlier draft of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, April 1969. I would like to acknowledge the advice of Professor Nicholas Tavuchis of Cornell University in all stages of this research and also D. Ian Pool, and J. Mayone Stycos of Cornell's International Population Program, and William J. Goode of Columbia University for their reading and criticism of earlier drafts. Any deficiencies in data or interpretation are of course my own.

Notes

An earlier draft of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, April 1969. I would like to acknowledge the advice of Professor Nicholas Tavuchis of Cornell University in all stages of this research and also D. Ian Pool, and J. Mayone Stycos of Cornell's International Population Program, and William J. Goode of Columbia University for their reading and criticism of earlier drafts. Any deficiencies in data or interpretation are of course my own.