Women, labour and fertility: population growth in nineteenth century Java

The sharp increase in Java's population after 1830 is usually explained in terms of higher living standards and consequent lower mortality resulting from Dutch colonization, but there is little historical evidence supporting such an interpretation and much to refute it. An alternative view is t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mankind (Sydney) Vol. 14; no. 5; p. 361
Main Author: Alexander, P
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Australia 01.12.1984
Subjects:
Agriculture
Asia
Asia, Southeastern
Biology
Breast Feeding
Contraception
Demography
Developing Countries
Economics
Employment
Family Planning Services
Fertility
Health
Health Manpower
Health Resources
Indonesia
Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Organization and Administration
Politics
Population
Population Dynamics
Population Growth
Postpartum Period
Reproduction
Sexual Abstinence
Social Class
Social Planning
Social Sciences
Socioeconomic Factors
Asia, Southeastern
Asia
Indonesia
Demography
Organization And Administration
Rural Development
Breast Feeding
Socioeconomic Status
Biology
Labor Force > women
Socioeconomic Factors
Postpartum Women
Reproduction
Economic Development
Sexual Abstinence
Population
Fertility > changes
Demographic Factors
Macroeconomic Factors
Historical Demography
Social Sciences
Nutrition
Population Growth
Health
Political Factors
Contraception
Family Planning
Human Resources
Puerperium
Employment Status > women
Economic Factors
Asia
Southeastern Asia
Historical Survey
Developing Countries
Infant Nutrition
Resources
Agricultural Development
Family Planning, Behavioral Methods
Indonesia
Population Dynamics
ISSN:0025-2328
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:The sharp increase in Java's population after 1830 is usually explained in terms of higher living standards and consequent lower mortality resulting from Dutch colonization, but there is little historical evidence supporting such an interpretation and much to refute it. An alternative view is that Java's population growth after 1830 was due to increasing fertility. The major constraint to Javanese fertility prior to this period has been extended periods of postpartum abstinence, the length of which was determined by the duration of breastfeeding, because people believed semen had deleterious effects on breast milk. In 1830 a system of forced cultivation of export crops was imposed by the Dutch rulers and greatly increased the amount of labor which Javanese households required to reproduce themselves. The arduous work women began to undertake made it increasingly difficult to breastfeed their children. As the average period of breastfeeding fell, the average period of postpartum abstinence declined and fertility increased.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0025-2328
DOI:10.1111/j.1835-9310.1984.tb01261.x