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  • Title: Population change and socio-cultural values.
    Author: UNESCO. Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.
    Journal: Bull Unesco Reg Off Educ Asia Pac; 1982 Jun; (23):329-44. PubMed ID: 12265664.
    Abstract:
    The developing countries of the world in general, and those of Asia and the Pacific in particular, recognize that unplanned population growth is a stumbling block to socioeconomic development. Discussion here focuses on population growth and social, economic, and institutional forces, which are referred to as sociocultural values. Generally, sociocultural values change sluggishly over time. The rate at which a country's sociocultural values change depends on several factors such as the stage of economic development and modernization and whether a country has an open or closed door policy. "The Value of Children Study: A Crossnational Study" by Fred Arnold et al. shows that there are positive and negative values attributed to children in the Asian countries. These are: positive general values--emotional benefits, economic benefits and security, self enrichment and development, identification with children, and family cohesiveness and continuity; negative general values--emotional costs, economic costs, restrictions on opportunity costs, physical demands, and family costs; large family values--sibling relationships, sex preferences, child survival; and small family values--maternal health and societal costs. Possibly the most formidable obstacle to the success of antinatalist population policies is that of religious values. It appears that the Muslim world is divided on the issue of fertility control. Conflicting views regarding fertility control is perhaps aggravated by the fact that there is no central international religious official hierarchy that issues out edicts. Despite the presence of a centralized religious hierarchy and a network of churches from the Vatican to the village levels among the Catholics, and a clearer elucidation of the Humanae Vitae, a liberal attitude to population regulation and family planning has emerged, largely because of the declining quality of life of the people resulting from unplanned births. Economic benefits of children include benefits from children's help in the house, business, or farm, from care of siblings, and from sharing of income; and old age security for the parents, including economic support, physical care, and psychological security. People in some countries of the region have a number of prenatalist values and beliefs, including a preference for sons. Changing attitudes and social realities have resulted in value changes, value crises, value conflicts, and confusion. Value clarification has much potential in terms of a couple's decision making. Values clarification involves at least 7 steps: choosing freely; choosing from alternatives; choosing after thoughtful consideration of consequences; prizing and cherishing; publicly affirming; acting; and acting with some pattern.
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