An Economic Analysis of Quantity-Quality Substitution in Household Fertility Decisions.
ResearchPublished 1970
A theoretical economic model of the "production" of children and the tradeoff between quantity and quality as measured by schooling. The aim is to explore a body of demographic data hitherto ignored by economists. Some of the specific assumptions and equations, formulated in the context of a developing country (Puerto Rico), might not apply in the United States. Parents are assumed to control their production of children; if this is not true--if the real determining factor is the cost of not having children--then the central thesis has little applicability. Regression analyses were performed using the Nerlove-Schultz data from the 1950 and 1960 Census for Puerto Rico, and their index of demand for female labor (see RM-6322), although it seriously understates the value of rural women's time. Results agree with expectations. The 10-year time lag is supported in that coefficients using 1950 data are more consistent with expectations than those using 1960 data. 40 pp. Bibliog.
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 1970
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 40
- Paperback Price: $23.00
- Document Number: P-4449
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De Tray, Dennis N., An Economic Analysis of Quantity-Quality Substitution in Household Fertility Decisions. RAND Corporation, P-4449, 1970. As of September 24, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P4449.html
De Tray, Dennis N., An Economic Analysis of Quantity-Quality Substitution in Household Fertility Decisions. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1970. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P4449.html. Also available in print form.
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