Am J Psychiatry 1975; 132:750-753
Copyright © 1975 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychosexual and cultural determinants of fertility choice behavior
J Cawte
Although traditional societies in Oceania direct their fertility choice
behavior (if any) toward spirits rather than sexual intercourse, closer
observation shows that these fertility choice behaviors, while groping and
magical, sometimes have empirical value. The author notes that the
alternative to effective fertility control in these societies has sometimes
been population regulation of the Malthusian variety (e.g., murder and
starvation). Efforts aimed at spacing the family in a less savage and more
effective manner deserve encouragement, the author believes.
