title: The influence of network mortality experience on nonnumeric response concerning expected family size: evidence from a Nepalese mountain village.
abstract: This article investigates the effects of sociometric network members' self-reported experiences with infant mortality on nonnumeric responses regarding expected family size among women in a small Nepalese community. The hypotheses tested include (1) that uncertainty about child survival, measured as average infant mortality across social networks, increases the likelihood of a nonnumeric response and (2) that this effect will be stronger when there is less variance in infant mortality experience within women a networks. The results suggest that nonnumeric response may be related to uncertainty about mortality derived through social learning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. john.sandberg@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology*; D005298:Fertility; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009390:Nepal; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D035501:Uncertainty; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*