ABSTRACT

T He changes that take place within rural households over time—as new families are formed through marriage and children are born, grow up, and gradually leave to form their own families—are referred to as the family developmental cycle, the reproductive cycle, or simply the life cycle. These changes largely determine the livelihood requirements of any given household and the diversity that can be found across households within most rural communities. Intrahouse-hold composition is also influenced by demographic changes, such as migration, and by economic changes, such as depression or expansion of economic growth.