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- Title
How Does Religion Influence Fertility?: The Case of Mormons.
- Authors
Heaton, Tim B.
- Abstract
High fertility has been a distinctive feature of Mormonism for over a century This paper takes a closer took at the determinants of Mormon fertility Socioeconomic status does not necessarily have a negative impact on fertility, as is generally the case, implying that the effects of socioeconomic status may vary according to the religious context Acceptance of the Mormon theology of marriage, contact with other Mormons as a reference group, and socialization in a Mormon subculture all have a positive influence on fertility. This pattern of high fertility strengthens interdependence between religion and family. <BR> This paper attempts to extend the pronatalist theology explanation in two ways. First, the particularistic theology is elaborated to include other elements that may characterize a religious group and influence its fertility. Within the Mormon context two additional factors are relevant, namely socialization within a high fertility subculture, and the salience of other Mormons as a reference group. Second, the notion that religious values alter fertility decision-making suggests the possibility of interaction effects between religion and other determinants of fertility. Chamie's (1981) version of the interaction hypothesis is that religious values play different roles in different socioeconomic contexts. An alternative statement giving more primacy to religion is that socioeconomic determinants of fertility vary both across religious groups and within religious groups depending on the level of religious involvement. Thus, we examine the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on fertility, comparing sub-groups of Mormons with the U.S. population. <BR> Results of this analysis have broad implications for explanations of religious differentials in fertility. Explanations based on socioeconomic composition of religious groups can draw from a rich literature linking socioeconomic characteristics with fertility. In contrast, explanations based on...
- Subjects
CHURCH of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; CHRISTIAN sects; MORMON cosmology; SOCIOECONOMICS; FERTILITY; REPRODUCTION
- Publication
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1986, Vol 25, Issue 2, p248
- ISSN
0021-8294
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/1385480