In the past the identification and explanation of spatial variations in fertility was seen as an important contribution to the field of population geography. By the 1980s with the substantial declines in fertility and the ' end ' of the demographic transition came the belief low fertility equated with little variation between groups and across space. Recent evidence however suggests the interaction of various factors including place - specific factors has led to spatio - temporal changes in fertility that have not been expected based on theoretical and national patterns of fertility. The objective of this thesis was to investigate if spatial differentials in fertility still exist, and have relevance in a low fertility setting. The study examines the geography of fertility in the State of South Australia from the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s using unpublished issue data from the 1976, 1981, 1986 and 1996 Australian Censuses for women aged 45 - 49 years and 15 - 44 years. In addition to identifying the patterns trends towards convergence or divergence in the patterns over time and the reasons for the patterns were also identified. The findings of this study indicate strong spatial variations in fertility still exist, have persisted over time and there are localised conditions which temper overall expectations from theory. While it is assumed declines in fertility equate with a convergence in differentials, the statistical parameters used in this study showed trends towards convergence or divergence varied by geographical scale and age group. Despite the limited attention socio - economic factors have received in the examination of population issues in Australia, they remain central to explaining the fertility patterns and trends found in this study. In fact in metropolitan Adelaide fertility may be a significant contributor and influence on social polarisation. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Social Sciences, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/263721 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Faulkner, Deborah Robyn |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
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