The central theme of this book deals with the contemporary perspectives on diversity in development cum moderization and their differential influence on contrasting fertility behaviour in the advanced regions of southern Kerala as against the less progressive northern area.

Observers of the Third World have been surprised in recent years by the dramatic declines in both birth and death rates in many developing countries. These phenomena have occurred on a vast scale in India. Although demographers are familiar with the broad outlines of what has happened there, they still know very little of the causes of these changes. Now, John C. Caldwell, P. H. Reddy, and Pat Caldwell present the results of their long investigation in rural South India, revealing critical social and political changes that will be of interest and value to all demographers, sociologists, planners, and other social scientists. The investigation, centering around the changes that the rural population is effecting in order to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by a global economy and society, has broad and profound implications for all Third World peoples and societies.

The Indian Council of Social Science Research, the premier organization for social science research in India, conducts periodic surveys in the major disciplines of the social sciences to assess disciplinary developments as well as to identify gaps in research in these disciplines.

This volume brings together 13 well-researched and original essays which describe and analyse the trajectory of fertility decline in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Documenting the fact that the fertility decline occurred in regions with vast differences in development indicators, the contributors argue that this transition must be understood as a cumulative result of several factors including family planning policies, socio-economic transformation, and changes in social perceptions towards fertility, contraception, marriage, family and child rearing. Combining various qualitative and quantitative techniques with field studies and historical analysis, the contributors go beyond the formal tools of demography and develop an original Geographical Information System (GIS), a spatialized database encompassing south Indian districts.