--- Todd Moody wrote:
> According to Jared Diamond, the lower birth rate of
> HGs was
> a result of economic necessity, implemented by means
> of
> infanticide rather than by some physiological
> difference.  This
> conclusion is supposedly based on studies of
> contemporary HGs.

From an Economic Development course I took this fall,
some possible reasons for the 'economic necessity' of
lower fertility rates for HGs:

- Higher female wages. Since children take up a large
portion of the mother's time, the cost of having
children rises with her wages (or usefulness to the
household). Perhaps in an HG household females
contribute more than in an agricultural household?

- Lower child wages. If children cannot contribute to
the household, the rewards for having them are
smaller. Perhaps children are more of a burden in an
HG household?

Today in countries with high female wages low
fertility rates are accomplished with abstention,
contraception and abortion. Without technology it's
abstention or infanticide. If HGs don't understand
where children come from then maybe infanticide is the
only way.

Back to lurking...

Isaac



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