This project for comparative field research on two communities in Mexico will try to explain the consistent relationship found in demographic studies between the formal education of women and population-level reproductive rates (of child survival and fertility) in changing societies. Hypotheses to be tested cover the skills and attitudes women acquire in school, preschool variations in family background and parental support for girl's education careers, and cultural variations in gender roles. Ethnographic and psychosocial methods will be used by investigators with native language ability in a rural and an urban setting in Mexico. This research is important because women's schooling is an important predictor of child survival and fertility in Third World countries, yet we have no good understanding of how and why female school attendance makes this apparent impact. This study will use an in-depth anthropological approach to this problem and promises to significantly advance our knowledge.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
8820400
Program Officer
name not available
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1989-01-01
Budget End
1990-06-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
$95,883
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02138