ABSTRACT

This chapter explores the community effects on fertility-related variables, along with an independent impact of the Population and Development Program. Village averages of verbal interaction between spouses may represent a community dimension of behavioral modernity. Alternatively, the aggregate communication measure may be construed as an influential characteristic of the social environment. The Population and Development Program has had a definite impact on all of the knowledge, attitude, and practice of contraception measures: knowledge of family planning, attitudes toward both contraception and family size, contraceptive use and potential use. More specifically, the targeting of individuals at the lower end of the individual communication index in all villages may be less effective in terms of knowledge and attitudes than the targeting of low exposure villages, regardless of the distribution of couple communications within them.