University of Groningen Higher Education and the Reproductive Life Course Banerjee, Sarbani
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University of Groningen Higher education and the reproductive life course Banerjee, Sarbani IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2006 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Banerjee, S. (2006). Higher education and the reproductive life course: A cross-cultural study of women in Karnataka (India) and the Netherlands [S.l.]: s.n. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date: 01-03-2018 Higher Education and the Reproductive Life Course The book series Population Studies aims at disseminating results of research on population trends, in the broadest sense. Series editorial board: Henk de Gans, Melinda Mills, Anton Oskamp & Harrie van Vianen. In memory of Anton Kuijsten ISBN 90 3610 035 6 NUR 740 © Sarbani Banerjee, 2006 Cover design: Ingrid Bouws, ThTh, Amsterdam All rights reserved. Save exceptions stated by the law, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system of any nature, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, included a complete or partial transcription, without the prior written permission of the publisher, application for which should be addressed to the publisher: Dutch University Press, Bloemgracht 82hs, 1015 TM Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel.: + 31 (20) 625 54 29 FAX + 31 (20) 620 33 95 E-mail: [email protected] www.dup.nl RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN Higher Education and the Reproductive Life Course: A cross-cultural study of women in Karnataka (India) and the Netherlands Proefschrift ter verkrijging van het doctoraat in de Ruimtelijke Wetenschappen aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen op gezag van de Rector Magnificus, dr. F. Zwarts, in het openbaar te verdedigen op donderdag 23 februari 2006 om 14.45 uur door Sarbani Banerjee geboren op 2 september 1975 te Visakhapatnam, India Promotores : Prof. dr. I. Hutter Prof. dr. ir. F.J.C. Willekens Beoordelingscommissie : Prof. dr. T.K. Roy Prof. dr. A.C. Liefbroer Prof. dr. L.J.G. van Wissen To my parents (Baba and Maa) & Madhu Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES PREFACE CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Rationale of this study 4 1.3 Research Objectives 5 1.4 Research Questions 5 1.5 Approach to the study 6 1.6 Presentation of the thesis 7 CHAPTER 2 BACKGROUND AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Introduction 9 2.2 Changing lives of women in the cross cultural context: the commonality issue 10 2.2.1 Multiple roles: family and work 11 2.2.2 The role of women’s higher education 15 2.2.3 Relevance of women’s changing lives in Karnataka 17 2.3 Life course theory 18 2.3.1 The lived life course 18 2.3.2 The perceived life course 19 2.3.3 Life course and generations 22 2.4 Structure and agency: emphasis on duality of structure 26 2.4.1 Macro and micro levels in social theory 28 2.4.2 Importance of modality in structure-agency linkages 29 2.5 Elements of the life course by Giele and Elder (1998) 29 2.5.1 Human agency 30 2.5.2 Location in time and place 33 2.5.3 Linked lives 34 2.5.4 Timing of life events 35 2.6 The Conceptual Framework 36 CHAPTER 3 DATA AND METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction 41 3.2 Reasons for selecting Karnataka in comparison to the Netherlands 42 3.2.1 Focus on universality 42 3.2.2 The role of education 45 3.3 Methodology for quantitative research 46 3.3.1 Conceptual model for quantitative data analysis 47 3.3.2 Description of datasets: Karnataka NFHS – 1998-99 and OG 98 49 3.3.3 Operationalisation of the variables 53 3.3.4 Educational profile of the study population 60 3.3.5 Imputation of age at graduation 63 3.3.6 The life table 67 3.4 Methodology for qualitative research 68 3.4.1 Need for qualitative research 70 3.4.2 Conceptual model and definition of concepts 71 3.4.3 Research setting 77 3.4.4 Process of conducting in-depth interviews 78 3.4.5 Selection of respondents 79 3.4.6 Profile of the respondents 81 3.4.7 List of questions and probes 84 3.4.8 Reflections on fieldwork 84 3.4.9 Response and quality of data 86 3.5 Concluding remarks 86 CHAPTER 4 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND THE TIMING OF FIRST BIRTH 4.1 Introduction 87 4.2 Methodological Issues 90 4.3 First birth in Karnataka and the Netherlands 92 4.3.1 Birth cohorts in Karnataka 93 4.3.2 Birth cohorts in the Netherlands 96 4.3.3 Comparison: Karnataka and the Netherlands 101 4.4 First birth by level of educational attainment 102 4.4.1 All cohorts combined: Karnataka and the Netherlands 102 4.4.2 Birth cohorts in Karnataka 110 4.4.3 Birth cohorts in the Netherlands 116 4.5 Impact of age of graduation on first birth 120 4.5.1 Birth cohorts in Karnataka 121 4.5.2 Birth cohorts in the Netherlands 124 4.6 Conclusion 127 CHAPTER 5 UNION FORMATION: AN INTERVENING EVENT 5.1 Introduction 131 5.2 Union formation in Karnataka and the Netherlands 134 5.2.1 The role of education 135 5.2.2 Union formation across cohorts: Karnataka and the Netherlands 138 5.2.3 Birth cohorts in Karnataka 139 5.2.4 Birth cohorts in the Netherlands 142 5.2.5 Comparison: Karnataka and the Netherlands 147 5.3 Impact of age of graduation on first union 148 5.3.1 Birth cohorts in Karnataka 149 5.3.2 Birth cohorts in the Netherlands 152 5.4 First union by levels of educational attainment 155 5.4.1 All cohorts combined: Karnataka and the Netherlands 156 5.4.2 Birth cohorts in Karnataka 159 5.4.3 Birth cohorts in the Netherlands 162 5.4.4 Comparison: Karnataka and the Netherlands 165 5.5 Conclusions 166 Chapter 6 ‘I am different from my mother’: MENARCHE AND MARRIAGE IN DAUGHTER’S GENERATION 6.1 Introduction 169 6.2 Menarche: beginning of the reproductive life course 169 6.2.1 Perceived timing of the event 170 6.2.2 Ceremony: initiation to mark the transition 173 6.2.3 Feelings about menarche 173 6.2.4 Knowledge and its sources 174 6.2.5 Expected behavioural change 177 6.2.6 Perceived role change 178 6.2.7 Perceived gains of the event 181 6.3 Marriage: union formation behaviour 183 6.3.1 Perceived timing of the event 183 6.3.2 Process of groom selection 186 6.3.3 Ceremony: initiation to the transition 188 6.3.4 Feelings about being married 189 6.3.5 Knowledge and its sources 190 6.3.6 Expected behavioural change 191 6.3.7 Perceived role change 193 6.3.8 Perceived gains of the event 198 6.4 Perceived changes: ‘I am different from my mother’ 201 Chapter 7 ‘I am different from my mother’: MOTHERHOOD AND AUTONOMY IN DAUGHTER’S GENERATION 7.1 Introduction 203 7.2 Birth of the first child: beginning of motherhood 203 7.2.1 Perceived timing of the event 203 7.2.2 Perceived first birth interval 205 7.2.3 Ceremony: initiation to mark the transition 206 7.2.4 Knowledge and its sources 207 7.2.5 Expected behavioural change 209 7.2.6 Perceived role change 212 7.2.7 Perceived gains of the event 217 7.3 Perceived autonomy 220 7.3.1 Perceived knowledge autonomy 221 7.3.2 Perceived decision making autonomy 225 7.3.3 Perceived physical autonomy 230 7.3.4 Perceived emotional autonomy 235 7.3.5 Perceived economic and social autonomy 238 7.4 Perceived changes: ‘I am different from my mother’ 241 Chapter 8 PERCEIVED LIFE COURSE OF OLDER GENERATION AND CHANGE ACROSS GENERATIONS 8.1 Introduction 243 8.2 Menarche: beginning of the reproductive life course 243 8.2.1 Perceived timing of the event 244 8.2.2 Ceremony: initiation to mark the transition 246 8.2.3 Knowledge and its sources 249 8.2.4 Expected behavioural change 252 8.2.5 Perceived role change 254 8.2.6 Perceived gains of the event 257 8.3 Marriage: union formation behaviour 259 8.3.1 Perceived timing of the event 259 8.3.2 Marriage matchmaking 261 8.3.3 Required criteria 263 8.3.4 Ceremony: initiation to mark the transition 265 8.3.5 Feelings about being married 265 8.3.6 Knowledge and its sources 266 8.3.7 Expected behavioural change 268 8.3.8 Perceived role change 269 8.3.9 Perceived gains of the event 273 8.4 Birth of the first child: beginning of motherhood 277 8.4.1 Perceived timing of the event 277 8.4.2 Ceremony: initiation to mark the transition 278 8.4.3 Knowledge and its sources 278 8.4.4 Expected behavioural change 279 8.4.5 Perceived role change 280 8.4.6 Perceived gains of the event 281 8.5 Conclusion 283 Chapter 9 PERCEIVED LIFE COURSE OF DUTCH WOMEN 9.1 Introduction 285 9.2 Menarche: beginning of the reproductive life course 285 9.2.1 Perceived timing of the event 286 9.2.2 Ceremony: initiation to the transition 287 9.2.3 Knowledge and sources of knowledge 287 9.2.4 Expected behavioural change 289 9.2.5 Perceived role change 289 9.2.6 Perceived gains of the event 291 9.3 Partnership: union formation behaviour 293 9.3.1 Perceived timing of the event 293 9.3.2 Preference for cohabitation or marriage 295 9.3.3 Transition from cohabitation to marriage 296 9.3.4 Role change perceived by the respondent 299 9.4 Birth