title: Bridewealth, marriage and fertility in the east-central states of Nigeria.
abstract: "The paper examines the determinants of high bridewealth in the east-central states of Nigeria, inhabited by the Igbo, and relates high bridewealth to rising age at marriage among both men and women. High and rising bridewealth in Igboland is associated with the prevailing economic situation, socio-economic status of bride's parents, raising incidence of self-selection of marital partners in place of arranged marriages, and particularly increasing female education.... Rising age at marriage in Igboland cannot be understood only on the basis of increasing urbanization, female education and employment opportunities, but also on the basis of rising bridewealth which reduces the tempo of marriage....The study ends with an investigation of the determinants of marital fertility through the use of a causal model that includes bridewealth, age at marriage and other socio-economic variables."  (SUMMARY IN ITA AND FRE)
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000354:Africa, Western; D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D004522:Educational Status; D005298:Fertility; D008393:Marriage; D009549:Nigeria; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Africa; Africa South Of The Sahara; Arranged Marriage; Demographic Factors; Developing Countries; Economic Factors; Educational Status--women; English Speaking Africa; Fertility; Marital Fertility--determinants; Marriage; Marriage Age--determinants; Marriage Patterns--determinants; Mate Selection; Nigeria; Nuptiality; Population; Population Dynamics; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; Western Africa