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Other Limits of Acceptable Family Size in Southern Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

David Lucas  and
Alfred Ukaegbu
David Lucas
Affiliation:
University of Lagos and Department of Sociology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Alfred Ukaegbu
Affiliation:
University of Lagos and Department of Sociology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
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Summary

This paper compares the results of questions about the best number of children and the desire for more children from three Nigerian sample surveys of adult females: in the Lagos metropolis (1973), in West Nigeria (1973), and among the Ngwa Ibo in the East Central State (1974). In Lagos and West Nigeria support for the ‘small’ family (of four children or, rarely, less) is more prevalent amongst the younger, urban bred and educated women: when these achieve their preferred family size a decline in fertility may be implemented. Among the Ngwa Ibo four children are seen as too few and the desire to stop childbearing only receives majority support from wives with seven or more surviving children. Economic constraints on family size have less impact on the Ngwa Ibo but glimmerings of interest in family limitation, albeit at high parities, are apparent among the educated Ngwa wives.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , January 1977 , pp. 73 - 81
Copyright
Copyright © 1977, Cambridge University Press

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References

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