Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2005 Exploring Reproductive Roles and Attitudes in Saudi Arabia Azizah Linjawi Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES EXPLORING REPRODUCTIVE ROLES AND ATTITUDES IN SAUDI ARABIA By AZIZAH LINJAWI A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree awarded: Fall semester 2005 The members of the committee approve the dissertation of Azizah Linjawi defended on August 4th 2005: _____________________________________ Elwood Carlson Professor Directing Dissertation _____________________________________ Rebecca Miles Outside Committee Member ____________________________________ Graham Kinloch Committee Member ____________________________________ Isaac Eberstein Committee Member Approved: ______________________________________ Patricia Martin (Chair - Sociology) ______________________________________ Graham Kinloch (College of Social Sciences) The office of Graduate studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Praise be to almighty Allah, the most merciful one, for his blessings to me which enabled me to finish my study at FSU. I write this acknowledgement with special gratitude and thanks to my Professor Elwood Carlson for his great teaching and his unlimited patience. I really appreciate his commitment to teaching me and imparting knowledge and encouragement. I have great respect for him. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Professor Isaac Eberstein for his tremendous encouragement and advisement. I also wish to convey much thanks to Professor Rebecca Miles for sharing with me her own experience in research related to the Arab world along with always willing to teach. I have learned so much from her. I also would like to express great thanks to Professor Graham Kinloch, Associate Dean of the College of Social Science at FSU, and Professor Kathryn Tillman. These professors served without reservation on my dissertation committee, providing lots of direction and taking extra responsibility. I here would like to thank my editor Mrs. Trisha C. Shaw for all her assistance editing my research work. Finally I express my gratitude to Professor Esmail Gashgary at King Abdulaziz University who provided assistance to me with data collection for surveys. I really appreciate all of you helping me achieve this milestone. Azizah Linjawi, Tallahassee FL, August 2005 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables……………………………………………………………………… vii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………….. ix Abstract…………………………………………………………………………… x 1. REPRODUCTION AND POPULATION GROWTH IN SAUDI ARABIA A. Introduction…………………………………………………...…........... 1 B. Population Growth Rates………………………………………………. 2 C. Mortality Decline and Population Growth…………………………….. 3 D. The Predominant Role of Fertility in Population Growth…………….. 6 E. Population Distribution………………………………………………… 9 F. Increasing Education for Women………………………………............. 12 G. Changes in Female Labor Force Participation…………………............. 15 H. Tribal Identity in Saudi Culture………………………………………... 16 I. Gender Relations in Saudi Society…………………………………….... 18 J. Demographic Studies in Saudi Arabia………………………………….. 19 2. THE INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT OF FERTILITY A. Do Theories Fit the Middle East?……………………………………… 22 B. Special Institutional Factors in Saudi Arabia…………………………… 29 3. THE MOTIVATIONAL CONTEXT OF FERTILITY A. The Rational Actor/Rational Choice Model of Fertility Behavior..…… 31 B. Social and Political Limits on the Rational Actor……………………… 35 C. Social Networks: How Social Context Influences Fertility Decisions… 41 D. The Fertility Decision-Making Process………………………………… 43 4. METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS A. Fertility Attitudes and Behavior in Saudi Arabia. ……….…....………. 45 B. Location for Study: City of Jeddah…………………………….............. 45 iv C. Variables for Study……………………………………………………... 49 D. Method of Data Collection……………………………………………… 53 E. Analysis of Results……………………………………………………… 60 5. FINDINGS ON ATTITUDES ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE ROLES AND BEHAVIOUR A. Scenario One…………………………………………...………............. 62 1. Timing of the first child ………………………………………… 62 2. Others involved in the birth decision …………………………… 69 3. The ultimate decision-maker ……………………………………. 73 4. Influence of living with the husband’s family ………………….. 78 5. Effect of the wife’s job on the birth decision ………………….. 83 6. Knowledge and use of contraceptives ………………………….. 87 B. Scenario Two…………………………………………………………… 90 1. The average number of children ……………………………….. 90 2. Influences to Have Fewer Children …………………………….. 93 3. Influences to Have More Children ……………………………... 98 C. Scenario Three…………………………………………………………. 101 1. If the first child is a boy ……………………………………….. 102 2. If the first child is a girl ………………………………………... 106 3. If she has three boys …………………………………………… 110 4. If she has three girls ……………………………………………. 114 6. COMPARISONS OF ATTITUDE TO ACTUAL LIFE HISTORIES A. Length of the First Birth Interval…….…………………………………. 120 B. Number of Children Ever Born………………………………………… 124 C. Sex Preferences for Children and Sex Ratios…………………............... 127 D. Attitude Toward Gender Relationship & Actual Fertility Behavior………………………………………………... 130 v 7. CONCLUSION FOR FUTURE SAUDI RESEARCH A. Introduction…………………………………….………………………. 137 B. Methodologies………………………………………………………….. 139 C. Substantive Conclusions……………………….………………………. 141 D. Prospects for Saudi Society……………………………………………. 147 APPENDICES ..............................………………………………………………… 150 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………. 158 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH………………………………………........................ 168 vi LIST OF TABLES 1A. Population in Saudi Arabia………………………….……………………….. 2 1B. Gulf State Populations in 2000……………………...….…………………… 3 1C. Infant and Child Mortality Rates per 1000 Births…………........................... 4 1D. Percent Decline in Infant Mortality in Arab Countries 1950-1990…………………………………………...…………………… 5 1E. Percentage Decline in Crude Birth Rates from 1950-1990…………………. 6 1F. Total Fertility Rate of Saudi Women…………………...…………………… 7 1G. Knowledge and Use of Modern Contraceptive Methods…………………… 8 1H. TFR for Urban and Rural Areas…………………………….......................... 9 1I. Reproductive Status by Urban/Rural Residence……………………………… 9 1J. Percent of Saudi Female Population In-Migrant in Administrative Areas……………………………………..…………………… 12 1K. Educational Attainment for Saudi Females in the Largest Administrative Areas………………………………………………………..... 14 1L. Mean Age of Marriage for Men and Women by Region….............................. 14 4A. Saudi Population by Residence, 1999……………………………………….. 47 4B. Research Sample……………………………………………………………… 56 4C. Occupations by Education and Tribal/Non-tribal Identity for Young Ages…. 57 5A. Response Patterns for Timing of First Births…………………………………. 64 5B. Response Patterns Regarding the Ultimate Decision-Maker………................ 74 5C. Response Patterns For the Typical Number of Children a Saudi Might Have………………………………………...………………….. 92 5D. Five Most Frequently Cited Reasons to Have Fewer Children……………… 95 5E. Response Patterns for "If the first child is a boy, will she have another child?"……………………………….…...……………………. 104 5F. Response Patterns for "If the first child is a girl, will she have another child?"……………………………………...………………….. 108 5G. Response Patterns for "If she has three boys, will she have another child?"…………………………………………………………. 113 5H. Response patterns for "If she has three girls, will she have another child?"…………………………………………………………. 117 vii 6A. Actual Intervals from Participants’ Ages at Marriage to Ages at First Birth………………………………………………………….. 121 6B. Actual Mean Ages for Participants at Marriage and First Birth………………………………….......…………………………….. 123 6C. Actual Mean Number of Children Born to Each Participant……………………………………………………………………. 125 6D. Proportion of Boys and Girls by Sex of Last Child…………………………. 127 6E. Fertility Behavior Following the Consecutive Births of Three Same Sex Children…………………………………………………… 128 6F. Fertility Attitudes Compared to Actual Mean Scores for Total Children Born…………………………………….……………………. 131 6G. Actual Mean Number of Children Born to Participants’ Compared With Participants’ Attitudes Toward Gender Relationships and the Ultimate Decision-Maker……….……………………………………………. 134 viii LIST OF FIGURES 1A. Age-Specific Fertility Rates 1994-1996……………...….…………………. 10 1B. Map of Saudi Arabia's Provinces……………….…………………………… 11 1C. Percent of Female Population in Labor Force by Age Group…………………………………………………………………… 15 1D. Saudi Labor Force by Sex, 2002……………………………………………. 16 4A. Administrative Areas in Saudi Arabia………………………………………. 46 4B. Labor Force (15 Years and Over) by Administrative Area, Nationality, and Sex in 2002………………………………………………… 47 4C. Map of Saudi Arabia……………………………………………………….. 48 4D. Research Design and Content………………………………………………. 51 ix ABSTRACT My study attempts to provide a picture of the relationship between choices about childbearing in Saudi Arabia, the position of certain women in the social structure of Saudi Arabian society, and their family formation attitudes. The assumption of the study was that a woman’s social position may affect her attitudes about gender relationships and, in consequence, her fertility behavior outcome may be affected as well. This study is important for Saudi society. A study linking