The socio-cultural context of high fertility among Igbo women.

Abstract

The Igboland of Nigeria has been under the influence of socio-economic change since the turn of the century, as typified by a high literarcy rate, a highly migratory population, the predominance of Christianity, and built-up towns and villages. Yet Igbo fertility has remained high even by Nigerian standards. Part of the explanation for high Igbo fertility is the prevalence of peculiar socio-cultural institutions which tend to encourage or support high fertility. In this study fertility differentials, reproductive behaviour and fertility preferences and intentions are examined as a function of three well-recognised cultural institutions or contextual factors: the bestowal of high fertility honour or title to women of a given family size, patriarchal relations, and patrilinearity and son preference, together with individual status indicators. Our findings suggest that socio-cultural institutions establish or condition relationships and behaviours among the Igbo; in other words, individual fertility behaviour takes place within the context of complex social organisation and under the influence of multiple social, cultural and ideological realities.