DYNAMICS OF FAMILY-SIZE AND COMPOSITION - A COMPUTER-SIMULATION STUDYWITH REFERENCE TO RURAL INDIA

This study attempts to understand the dynamics that produce the persis tent observation of a strong positive correlation between family size and extent of landholdings in predominantly agrarian economies. Such a correlation can arise from different types of demographic configurati ons including the rules of family formation. For example, big landhold ings may be associated with large families, despite the lack of differ entials across holdings of different size in fertility and mortality, simply because these families may remain undivided for long periods. I n the absence of conclusive data to analyse this relationship in the I ndian case, this study sets up a computer simulation model for studyin g the results of alternative demographic configurations.