Class Year
2015
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Fall 2014
Department 1
Interdisciplinary Studies
Abstract
Many states in the Arab world have undertaken wide-ranging family planning polices in the last two decades in an effort to curb high fertility rates. Oman and Morocco are two such countries, and their policies have had significantly different results. Morocco experienced a swift drop in fertility rates, whereas Oman’s fertility has declined much more slowly over several decades. Many point to the more conservative religious and cultural context of Oman for their high fertility rates, however economics and the state of biomedical health care often present a more compelling argument for the distinct differences between Omani and Moroccan family size. While many explanations exist for inconsistencies in fertility trends, integrating these explanations into a cohesive whole allows us to see women as rational actors who make the best choices for their own context. This paper synthesizes existing literature on religion, culture, medicine and economics with field experience to comprehensively examine the multifaceted fertility decision making process of women and couples in Morocco and Oman.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Mohr, Victoria E., "“In Light of Real Alternatives”: Negotiations of Fertility and Motherhood in Morocco and Oman" (2014). Student Publications. 329.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/329
Included in
African History Commons, African Languages and Societies Commons, African Studies Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Islamic World and Near East History Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons, Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons, Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Women's Health Commons, Women's History Commons, Women's Studies Commons
Comments
Capstone Project for an Individual Major in Mid East Language, Culture, and Conflict