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Population policy: Authoritarianism versus cooperation

Author

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  • Amartya Sen

    (Harvard University, Department of Economics, Littauer Center, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

Abstract

The people whose interests are most adversely affected by frequent bearing and rearing of children are young women. Social changes that expand the decisional power of young women (such as expansion of female literacy, or enhancement of female employment opportunity) can, thus, be major forces in the direction of reducing fertility rates. This "cooperative" route seems to act more securely - and often much faster - than the use of "coercion" in reducing family size and birth rates. This essay examines the comparative evidence from India and China on this subject as well as the interregional contrasts within India. JEL classification: J11, J13, O15

Suggested Citation

  • Amartya Sen, 1997. "Population policy: Authoritarianism versus cooperation," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 10(1), pages 3-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:10:y:1997:i:1:p:3-22
    Note: Received August 20, 1996/Accepted November 14, 1996
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Priniti Panday, 2020. "Women’s Empowerment and the Well-being of Children in Nepal," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 36(2), pages 129-154, June.
    2. Hendrik P. Dalen & Kène Henkens, 2021. "Population and Climate Change: Consensus and Dissensus among Demographers," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(3), pages 551-567, July.
    3. M. Merli & Herbert Smith, 2002. "Has the Chinese family planning policy been successful in changing fertility preferences?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 39(3), pages 557-572, August.
    4. Shihui Chen & Hanqing Chevy Fang & Niall G. MacKenzie & Sara Carter & Ling Chen & Bingde Wu, 2018. "Female leadership in contemporary Chinese family firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 181-211, March.
    5. Erasmo, Valentina, 2021. "Self-sacrifice: an analysis of female economic behaviour in less developed countries through the lenses of Amartya Sen’s thought," MPRA Paper 108076, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Seebens, Holger, 2006. "Bargaining over Fertility in Rural Ethiopia," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2006 25, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Population policy · women`s emancipation · China · India;

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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