ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a discussion of the relevance of feminist theory to theories of demography, and vice versa. It outlines the problems which arise when theories of demography are not informed by feminist scholarship. Feminist theory can make a valuable contribution to theories of demographic processes and behaviour. From a feminist perspective the strength of John Caldwell's work rests with his acknowledgement of women's inequality and his attempt to theorize the demographic consequences of patriarchy. In most African societies women carry the burden of childcare in terms of both time and cost, and with limited assistance from husbands. Although some women migrate to towns due to dissatisfaction and limited resources within the extended family, the nuclear family often decreases African women's economic independence. The explanation of African underdevelopment which emerged primarily from the French school of Marxist anthropology serves as the base for Joel Gregory and V. Piche's model of fertility.
