Values towards and demand for children in an urban middle class locality of Visakhapatnam.

This study assesses fertility levels family size patterns of fertility transition and associated behavioral factors in a predominantly middle-class section of the city of Visakhapatnam. It aims to examine the extent to which a shift in the values attached to children accompanies the cross sectional shift to modernization and the extent to which these changes in the economic roles of and values attached to children are responsible for inducing changes in the demand for children on the one hand and the shift to control fertility on the other. The logistics of research operation required that the study be operated only in any urban area and for that the city of Visakhapatnam was selected for the purpose of the study. Overall the study gives clear evidence that the value of children is not determined purely by family size but is dependent on various factors influencing the views and attitudes of the society on the role of children.