The nature and causes of the changes in reproductive behavior associated with rural-to-urban migration or urbanization are analyzed in this study using data from a fertility survey of 3816 married couples in Taiwan. Migration status, educational background, marriage duration, and various socioeconomic factors were considered. Also included as variables in the analysis were number of children ever born, number of children expected by the wife, wife's fertility number preference, and wife's preference for sex of the children. Data indicate that cityward migrants have lower actual and attitude fertility than nonmigrants at the place of origin, but similar or higher than that of urban nonmigrants. It appears that as education, age at marriage, independent living, involvement of children in choice of spouse, income, involvement in outside activities, exposure to mass media, ownership of modern durable goods, perception of less importance of a male heir, and aspirations for children's higher education increase, the number of children born and wanted declines, as does the preference for boys over girls.

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Family Size, Desired Social Values Fertility Determinants Research Methodology residential mobility China educational status Sex Preference social psychology Reproductive Behavior--determinants Family Size, Expected sexual behavior economics population Migrants demography developing country Population Dynamics Research Report Developing Countries Family And Household statistics Asia Statistical Studies Far East socioeconomic status Eastern Asia fertility Taiwan family size Family Characteristics social status psychology Value Orientation Sex Behavior Socioeconomic Factors Psychological Factors Multivariate Analysis Behavior socioeconomics Article Differential Fertility rural-urban migration migration data analysis Demographic Factors research Emigration and Immigration Economic Factors Transients and Migrants social class sex