Dennis Hodgson – författare

This open access book provides an overview and analysis of the causes and consequences of the massive and highly consequential transition in reproductive behaviour that occurred in Asia, Latin America, and Africa since the mid-20th century. In the 1950s contraceptive use was rare and women typically spend most of their reproductive years bearing and rearing children. By 2020 fertility and contraceptive use in Asia and Latin America reached levels commonly observed in the developed world. Africa’s fertility is still high, but transitions have started in all countries. This monograph is the first to provide a comprehensive analysis of these trends and their determinants, covering changes in reproductive behaviour (e.g., use of contraception and abortion), preferences (e.g., desire to limit and space births) and the role of socioeconomic development (e.g., education). The role of government policies and in particular family planning programs is discussed in depth. Particular attention isgiven to provide a balanced assessment of several political and scientific controversies that have beset the field. As such this book provides an interesting read for a wide audience of undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and public health policy makers.

This book assumes that “women’s empowerment” is a social movement aimed at producing political, economic and social change. It traces the changing relationship among three unprecedented trends experienced in the “developing world” since 1950: declining levels of mortality and fertility, socioeconomic development, and women’s empowerment. It offers two policy analyses of the contemporary relationship of these three trends. One for the 30 countries that in 2021 still have TFRs above 4, and another for the 34 countries that currently have below replacement level fertility. This analysis highlights a new 21st century fact: over-ardent neo-Malthusian population controllers are no longer the greatest threat to women’s reproductive rights. That place has been assumed by over-ardent pronatalist population controllers in low fertility countries.