Demography and Childcare in Preindustrial Societies

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Abstract
This article considers the relationships between selected demographic structures (total fertility, infant and child mortality, sex-age distribution, divorce rate, causes of death) and childcare patterns among hunter-gatherers, horticulturalists, and pastoralists. Demographic data from fifty-seven preindustrial societies indicate that the demographic structure of a population can be useful for understanding intercultural variability in caregiving practices identified in "traditional" characterizations of childcare in these populations (e.g., indulgent care, multiple caregivers, multiage play groups). Analysis of demographic structures also identifies two "emergent" features of childcare in preindustrial populations that are infrequently mentioned in socialization studies of these populations: stepparent-stepchild relations and differential investment in sons and daughters.

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