ABSTRACT
This chapter examines that relationship by briefly outlining the characteristics of the demographic transition in Eastern Europe, relating fertility decline to the productive needs of post World War II Hungary and, finally, through an analysis of the interaction of social, economic, and demographic policy in contemporary Hungary. It explains why and how Hungarian women have thwarted government attempts to raise their fertility. Examination of the historical and contemporary circumstances surrounding the fertility decisions of women and couples in socialist Hungary reveals a complex relationship between women's rights, production, and reproduction. Although state-instituted demographic policy was unable to modify the overall Hungarian fertility picture, individual aspects of the program have left an indelible mark on the structure of Hungarian society. In Hungary, women are still utilizing a strategy of low marital fertility that had its basis in the historic evaluation of scarce resources related to land available for subsistence.
