Fertility Intention, Social Capital and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh

Abstract

Fertility intention has been drawn increasing attention on the significance of social capital and NGOs because there is interrelation among fertility intention, social capital and NGOs. It is interesting to note that NGOs has a great role to build up a social network which can be treated as a medium by which individuals learn about demographic behavior. Social networks can also be sources of valuable resources that help to reduce the costs of having children and that build a stock of fertility-related social capital. In general, social interactions in personal networks affect individual's reproductive attitudes and behavior. However, social capital is a multidimensional concept and is used to refer to the goodwill, trust, and cooperation evident in any particular organization or society. It is the fruit of social relations and consists of the expectative benefits derived from the preferential treatment and cooperation between individuals and groups. In other words, social capital means relationships with others by trust, norms and social networks that an individual can change his/her socio­economic phenomena. Trust, social norms and social networks are the elements of social capital, by these elements one can improve the society and can get economic benefits by which changes his/her status. NGOs have great impact and contribution to make social capital through various programs such as, micro-credit. In this context, an attempt has been made to know the interrelationships among fertility intention, social capital and NGOs at Charghat Thana, Rajshahi. For this purpose, data were collected from 498 ever married women who are the members of different NGOs and from women who are not involved with NGOs through purposive sampling. Based on primary data, the impact of social capital measured on intentions to have a second child has been investigated. This study also identifies the determinants of fertility intention and the determinants of fertility at Charghat Thana. It also investigates the role of NGOs to build up social capital. The result indicates that most of the respondents are middle aged groups 26- 45 years (43.4%), 20.1 % women are young in the age group 15-25 years, 36.5% women are older age groups above 45 years. 31.7% of the women have completed primary education, majority of women are house wife (87.6%) and a few numbers of women are involved with petty business (7.6%). Most of the women are Muslims (77.7%). It is observed that 34. I% families have monthly income below 5000 Taka, 37.1 % families have monthly income in the range 5000-8000Taka, 11.4% families have monthly income in the range 8000-10000 Taka, and 17. I% families have monthly income above 10000 Taka and the average monthly income is 6171.69 Taka. It is also observed that 49.4% families have monthly expenditure below 5000 Taka, 30.3% families have monthly expenditure in the range 5000-8000Taka, 12.2% families have monthly expenditure in the range 8000-10000 Taka, and 8% families have monthly expenditure above 10000 Taka and the average monthly expenditure is 5286.75 taka. About fifty percent (50%) women marry at age under 18 years. 76.4% are using contraception who are involved with NGOs which impact on reducing fertility. The result shows that 20.8% women who involved with NGOs have intention to bear more children and 21.1 % women have intention to bear more children who are not involved with NGOs. The social capital index is constructed to observe social capital formation among NGO members. To know the determinants of fertility intention, the prominent multivariate analysis such as, logistic regression analysis has been employed. The results reveals that middle aged women 26-35 years have 76 percent less likely and older women aged 35 and over have 98 percent less likely to have fertility intention respectively than younger women aged less than 25 years. Muslim women are 1.2 times more likely to have fertility intention than their non-Muslim counterparts. The result shows that primary completed women have 42 percent less likely and secondary and higher educated women have 22 percent less likely to have fertility intention respectively than illiterate women. Women who have married under 18 years old have 21 percent less likely to have fertility intention than the women who have married above and equal 18 years. Women who have household assets are 1.4 times more likely to have fertility intention than those women who have no household assets. The result indicates that the women who are involved with NGOs are 1.5 times more likely to have fertility intention than women who don't involve with NGO. It shows that women who attend regular group meeting of NGOs are 35 percent less likely to have fertility intention than those women who don't attend regular group meeting. 22% women who belong middle social capital index are less likely to have fertility intention than those women who have lower social capital index and the women who have upper social capital index are 31 percent less interested to have fertility intention than those women who have lower social index. The multiple classification analysis has been conducted to evaluate the contribution of socio-economic and demographic variables on fertility. The important determinants of fertility are women age, religion, education, age at marriage, contraceptive use, having electricity, mass media exposure, NGO membership and social capital index. Consciousness has grown among members exposed to NGO led activities. Most of the members have a strong knowledge about AIDS, arsenic contamination, Immunization program, health, nutritional needs, family planning, etc., after involvement into NGO activities. It is note that the average monthly family income of the respondents had TK. 4125.25 before joining the NGO as a member. After joining as a member, the average monthly family income has increased to TK. 6171.69. Before the membership, the average family expenditure was 3917.35, and after membership the average expenditure is measured at TK. 5286.75. The average savings has increased to TK. 884.94 (mean) due to a NGO member. Illness as well as awarding education for the member s' children depends on several independent variables like income, savings, hygienic condition, sanitation, TT vaccine, family planning, member s' education, etc so as to remove illness, and to expand educational facilities of the children. NGO has played a significant role by increasing family income, ensuring healthy sanitation facilities, providing educational facilities, enlarging knowledge on health education, etc. The correlation and path analysis have been used to know the relationship and the factors affecting fertility intention, social capital and NGOs. From the correlation analysis, it is found that social capital has significantly positively correlated with total family member and NGO membership. On the other hand, age at marriage and wealth are significantly inversely correlated on SCI. To examine the causal link (direct, indirect and total effects) among socio-economic and demographic variables, a multivariate technique known as path model analysis has been applied. The total association, the direct effects, non-causal effects, and total effects of exogenous and endogenous variables on the residual variable such as social capital have been investigated. The total association with SCI is statistically significant with age at first marriage, total family member, wealth and NGO membership. The age at first marriage, total family member and wealth are also statistically significant with NGO membership through total association. The total association with fertility intention is statistically significant as women age, age at first marriage and total family member. But women age, education, total family member, fertility intention and NGO membership have favorable total effects on social capital; age at marriage and wealth have adverse total effects on social capital. This study will help to policy makers to give idea to understand the NGOs contribution about social capital formation and to identify the relationships among fertility intention, social capital and NGOs at Charghat Thana in Rajshahi District in Bangladesh.