Higher Education and the Reproductive Life Course

Book excerpt: This study examines the impact of higher educational attainment on the changing lives of women, both at the individual and the societal level. The study focusses on the cross-cultural contexts in one of the states in South India and the Netherlands. Karnataka in the recent times is experiencing fertility transition while the Netherlands has already achieved fertility transition. The two cultural contexts are both diverse and unique in character. The author explores both the uniqueness as well as the similarities, hence studying the impact of higher education on the changing lives of women as a continuum across cultures and societies. Changes at the individual level are captured by distinguishing women into older and younger generations, while changes at the societal level are captured through social change. At the individual level, we distinguish between the 'lived' life course and the 'perceived' life course. At the societal level we focus on how higher educational attainment has enhanced women's position in the society. The study uses secondary data from the National Family Health Survey (1998-1999) for the state of Karnataka and the Netherlands Family Fertility Survey (OG 98). In addition to the secondary data, in-depth interviews were also conducted amongst women in Bangalore and Groningen.