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in the intercept of the EF structural equation was based on another aspect
of the theory developed in Chapter 1: expectations about the hypotheses
that socioeconomic effects on EF are weak, relative to both the effect of
"exposure" on EF and the effects of the socioeconomic variables on other
fertility components. Of the three components of the fertility process,
it is posited that LF should be most susceptible to socioeconomic posi-
tion, onset less so, and early fertility least. This hypothesis is, of
course, specific to the range of countries most likely to be encountered
in the WFS, and is not meant to apply to the most industrialized or
socioeconomically developed societies. Finally, this hypothesis points
to another aspect of the theory developed In Chapter 1 which can be
tested by means of replications over countries, as illustrated later in
this chapter.
2.4 DATA AND VARIABLES EMPLOYED
As noted earlier, the empirical analysis presented here is based on the
15 countries for which WTS data are currently available. These countries
include Colombia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan,
Kenya, Korea, Lesotho, Malaysia, Panama, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
The measure used for family planning program scope and vigor is that
of Mauldin et al. (1978), which refers to the state of the program circa
1972. In the macro analyses that follow, this variable is used in its
actual scored form, and also as a dichotomy with countries coded as none
to weak versus moderate to strong. Socioeconomic development is measured
variously. In our macro analyses, we experiment with gross domestic
product per capita circa 1965 (Hagen and Hawrylyshyn, 1969~. In addition,
we attempt two transformations of the social setting index of Mauldin et
al. (1978), which refers to conditions circa 1970. In the first of these,
we rank-order the available 15 WFS countries on this index. In the other,
we dichotomize the index into low to upper middle versus high. Of course,
for any macro analysis only one measure of family planning program effort
is considered at a time, and only one measure of socioeconomic
development.
The micro model is cohort-specific. The results reported here are
based on a single birth cohort of currently married respondents aged
40-44 in 1974. We use this year because the survey dates range over a
four-year period (1974-771. m is particular cohort was chosen, first, to
permit study of between-country variability in the socioeconomic deter-
minants of all three components of the fertility process. Selection of
an older cohort allows sufficient time for the implications of socioeco-
nomic characteristics to develop. In addition, older cohorts experienced
first-hand the effects of the family planning programs introduced in many
countries during the 1965-74 decade. Respondents aged 40-44 in 1974 were
aged 30-34 in 1964 ; according to the logic underlying the decomposition
of the fertility process, these women were entering the potentially
discretionary stage of their reproductive life as major policy shifts
were taking place at the macro level. m is cohort may thus have played a
critical role in determining the success or failure of family planning
programs in many Third World countries.
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The data used to estimate the micro models are from the WFS standard
recode files. Table 2.3 lists the variables appearing in the AFB, EF,
and LF structural equations and gives their operational definitions. The
definitions of the fertility components, early outcomes, and adjustment
variables are invariant across countries. Some socioeconomic variables
are defined identically from one country to the next (WBM, WSM, HOCC),
while others are not (WED, HED, RESC, RES).7 The number and meaning of
the categories for the education and residence variables vary across
countries.
Our intent in allowing this variability is to ensure that the
application of the micro model will be as meaningful as possible. For
most of the micro variables, this goal does not conflict with that of
comparability. However, the education and residence classifications
sacrifice a degree of comparability for greater country-specific meaning.
The critical cutting points for years of schooling depend both on the
nature of the school system and on social context more generally. Because
we selected the educational categories used in each country's First
Country Report, the highest category of education ranges from Come
college" (Panama, Jordan, Malaysia, Korea) to "more than primary.
(Colombia, Guyana, Jamaica) , while the number of categories ranges from
three (Jamaica, Guyana) to seven (Jordan). Residential classifications
vary similarly.
For purposes of this exploratory analysis, we have categorized socio-
economic variables that are usually treated in scaled form to permit
assessment of relationships for shape and monotonicity. In later analy-
ses, we expect to scale all variables where possible.
As noted in Chapter 1, ethnicity may have an impact on the structural
equations. Tts effects can vary among individuals in a way that amounts
to setting differentiation. Ultimately, then, it is necessary to test
for differences across ethnic groups in the parameters of the structural
equations within each country for which ethnicity is relevant. We defer
such a full exploration for later analysis, though we account for eth-
nicity partially here. In particular, allowing for ethnic differences in
all parameters would be equivalent to allowing ethnicity to interact with
all of the variables in a structural equation. We estimate models which
are not interactive with respect to ethnicity, but additive. This allows
for intercept differences between ethnic groups, but not slope differ-
ences. Moreover, this specification potentially modifies the coeffici-
ents of all other predictors in a structural equation relative to what
they would have been had ethnicity been excluded. m e reason for this,
of course, is that ethnicity can be associated with the means of the
explanatory variables in the structural equation.
We use multiple regression to estimate the AFB, EF, and LF struc-
tural equations. To assess the validity of the macro hypotheses about
micro coefficient variability, we use the first derivatives of the effects
of the explanatory variables, derived from the micro regression results.
These derivatives are either actual regression coefficients, or transfor-
mations evaluated at particular values of the relevant explanatory
variables when we have hypotheses about interactions.
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TABLE 2.3 Micro Variables and Their Operational Definitions
Fertility Components
AFB
EF
Outcomes
EF
ECM
SCB
SCG
Adjustment Variables
NMAR
DUR
FEC
Socioeconomic Variables
.
RESC
WED
WBM
WSM
HED
HOCC
RES
Age at first birth
Number of children born before respondent reaches age 30
Number of children born on or after respondent's 30th birthday
See above
Number of children dying before respondent reaches age 30
Dummy variable taking the value of 1 if respondent has two or
more living sons on her 30th birthday; 0 otherwise
Dummy variable taking the value of ~ if respondent has one or
more living daughters on her 30th birthday; 0 otherwise
Number of marriages contracted by respondent
The number of months in union between respondent's 30th
birthday and survey date
Dummy variable taking the value of 1 if respondent indicates
no problems in having children; 0 otherwise
Dummy variable ts) indicating place of childhood residence
(omitted category is rural childhood residence)
Dummy variables indicating level of schooling as coded in
First Country Report (omitted category is lowest level)
Dummy variable taking the value of 1 if respondent was
employed In the modern sector after her first marriage;
O otherwise
Dummy variable taking the value of 1 if respondent was
employed in the modern sector after her first marriage;
0 otherwise
Dummy variables indicating level of husband education (omitted
category is the lowest level)
Dummy variables indicating husband occupation: employee
(omitted category); self-employed agricultural; self-
employed nonagricultural; employer
Dummy variablefs) for current residence (omitted catgegory is
rural residence)
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The categorical treatment of micro socioeconomic variables imposes
constraints on the macr~level analysis. For one thing, it yields more
than one coeff icient for micro variables consisting of more than two
categories (RESC, WED, HED, HOCC, RES). For exploratory purposes, we
focus on a particular contrast of each micro socioeconomic effect: that
between the extreme categories. Thus we compare nonagricultural employers
with nonagricultural employees;8 the most urban residents with the most
rural; the highest educational category with the lowest. We expect
betweenrcountry variability in these coefficients because of differences
in the number and meaning of the categories used. Differences in the
extent to which the contrast between extreme categories captures the
maximum empirical contrast between categories of a particular explanatory
dimension may also introduce variability. However, neither our theory
nor the analyses presented here systematically address such variability.
The interaction terms in the LF structural equation require special
treatment. There is no single effect of respondent's education (WED) or
husband's occupation (HOCC) on LF. The partial derivatives indicate that
the effects of WED and HOCC depend on EF and son sufficiency (SCB):
(2.7a) a(1~Di, = 82,
16 + 517, 16 (EF) + 619, 16 (SCB);
a Cocci 612,16 + 818,16 (EF) + 820,16 (SCB)
To obtain single WED and HOCC coefficients for use in macro-level
analysis, we not only take extreme categories of each, but also evaluate
the partial derivative at EF = 4 and SCB = 1. These values of EF and SCB
should magnify the potential effect of WED and HOCC on LF. EF = 4
suggests a relatively large family early in the reproductive cycle, while
SCB = 1 indicates at least two sons in that early family.
2 . 5 ILLUSTRATION OF OPE^TION=I ZATION
The purpose of this section is to illustrate and clarify the preceding
description of the micro and macro variables, and the operationalization
of the micro model. To this end, we present a comparison, based on just
two countries, that will clarify the hypotheses to be tested using the 15
WAS countries for which micro results are currently available. The
countries chosen for this purpose are Peru and Korea. The WFS data sets
for these countries are available for unrestricted scholarly use.
Moreover, the two different cultural areas involved should provide an
interesting contrast. The discussion begins with the macro comparison,
and then turns to the micro results.
Macro Comparison
Peru and Korea are both in the high category of the Mauldin et al.,
(1978) social setting index, in which the higher the rank, the more