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Islam, Women, and Politics: The Demography of Arab Countries Author(s): Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer Reviewed work(s): Source: Population and Development Review, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Mar., 1992), pp. 33-60 Published by: Population Council Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1971858 . Accessed: 23/10/2012 02:35Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
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Islam, Women, and Politics: The Demography of Arab CountriesCARLA MAKHLOUF OBERMEYER
in the Arab regionis commonin the literature. Arab countries said to are have fertility levels that are higher,and health statusindicators that are worse,than mightbe expectedon the basis of socioeconomicindicators. Some researchers have arguedthat"a unique fertility model existsin the Arab World" (Omran, 1980: 97), while othershave foundan overrepreachievers" sentation Arabcountries of amongtheworld's"poorhealth (Caldare to bewell, 1986). Arab demographic patterns thought be exceptional cause "instead of decliningwith development accordingto the Western a correlation model,Arabfertility demonstratesweak and sometimes positive withdevelopment indicators" (Omran,1980: 97). Thus,the"correspondence between epidemiologic thefertility the and transition notseemto apply" does (Nagi, 1984: 196). of have been attributed to These unusual features Arab demography Islam and to the low statusof women in the region.One of the strongest as statements about the statusof Arabcountries negative"outliers"comes takenby from Caldwell'sanalysisoftheexceptional routesto low mortality in countries have achievedsubstantial that thoselow-income improvements health.His analysiscontrasts healthachievers"with"poor health "superior ratesare higherthan would have been achievers"whose infant mortality predicted thebasisofpercapitaincome.Ofthe11 "poorhealthachievers," on sevenare Arabcountries, nineare whollyor largely Muslim.In "trying and to decidewhat determines a country that shallbecomea superior a poor or health achiever," Caldwell finds that "the firstcontrastto strikethereader . . . is the religion of the two groups" (1986: 175). Contrasting
THE IDEA THATTHERE IS SOMETHINGPECULIARabout the demographic situation
Islam with Buddhismand Hinduism, arguesthatthe poor healthperhe
POPULATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
REVIEW
18, NO.
1 (MARCH
1992)
33
34
ISLAM,
WOMEN,
AND POLITICS
is formance Islamiccountries the resultof the influence their of of religion on the societalvalues relatedto women and children. To evaluate the extentto which these analysesof the demographic and useful, article this evidenceare accurate examines three the propositions thatunderlietheseinterpretations: Arab countries poorlyin terms that do of demographic indicators, thisis due to Islam,and thatthe impactof that Islamoperates through way in whichitdefines low status women. the a for First, reviewthe available data on fertility healthin Arab countries. I and Second, I critically examine the claim thatIslam is a pronatalist religion. Third, summarize evidenceon the statusofwomen in theArabworld I the and consider whether one can ascribeto it specific demographic outcomes. I argue thatthe "fateful triangle" model thatsees a pernicious association between Islam,women,and demographic is outcomes inappropriate because itoverlooks crucial factors variability ignores ambiguities of and the inherent in thenormative structure a society. proposethata better of I understanding of demographic change mustinclude attention the politicalcontextof to and and I sketch dimensions thatcontext the in of fertility healthbehavior, the region.
The demographyof Arab countriesArab countries discussedhere are those in which Arabicis the official as language.'Thiscriterion chosenbecauseitconstitutes reasonable was a basis for a culture area. Thesecountries delineating relatively homogeneous cover thegeographic area ofNorth Africa and WestAsia (see Figure1).2 Predominantly Muslim,3 theyaccountforabout one-quarter theworld'sMuslim of population. The totalpopulationof Arab countries estimated 220 millionin is at 1991. The mostpopulous country Egypt, is whichhas 52.4 millioninhabitants; thereare threecountries about 25 millioneach (Sudan, Morocco, of and Algeria)and fourcountries 10-20 million:Iraq (18.9), Saudi Arabia of 1 ( 14.1), Syria( 12.5), and Yemen(now united, 1.7); theremainder under are 10 million, withsixcountries 2 million less.As a group, thesecountries of or have veryhighratesof populationgrowth, averaging just under3 percent and of withabout40 percent inhabitants annually,4 very youngpopulations, underage 15 years. the Table 1 presents latestavailabledata on incomeper head, urbanand ization,education,totalfertility rates,infant mortality, lifeexpectancy is the in Arab countries. in The diversity levels of development striking: have verydifferent bases-rich oil producers, economiesof thesecountries there great are and middle-income countries, extremely countries5-and poor Levelsofurbanin and disparities GNP per capita,urbanization, education. in izationare about 75 percent countries theArabianpeninsula(withthe of exceptionof Oman), as well as in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,and Libya; they
CARLA
MAKHLOUF
OBERMEYER
35
FIGURE 1 The Arab countries
NISIA
LEBANON
YI
MOROCCALGERIA
IRAQ JORDAN KUWAITBAHRAIN
Western"Sahara
LIBYA
EGYPT
QATAR
SAUDI ARABIA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
MAURITANIA SUDAN YM
OMAN
SMALIA
are around 50 percent Algeria, in Morocco,Syria,and Mauritania, Egypt, in Tunisia; and between22 and 40 percent Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. enrollment have primary Statistics educationshow thatmostcountries on Morocco,Saudi Arabia,Somalia, ratios closeto 100,butseveral(Mauritania, is and Sudan) stilllag behind. Secondaryschool enrollment much lower. school in are On averageaboutone-half theage groups enrolled secondary of (WorldBank, 1991, 199la). are levelsof fertility high,and in over halftotal In all thesecountries ratesare above 6 childrenper woman. Analysesfromthe World fertility in out in the 1970s (summarized Farid,1987) docFertility Surveycarried childbearing beginsearly is umentthatmarriage earlyand quasi-universal, use the years,and contraceptive is and continues throughout reproductive rates thattotalfertility fortheperiod1985data indicate low.6More recent 90 average5.6 children woman,comparedto an averageof 3.9 forless per as developedcountries a whole (UnitedNations,1990, 1991). Lifeexpectancy averages64 years are Levelsofmortality morediverse. or more in Bahrain,Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, but and theEmirates, 59 yearsorlessin thepoorand predominantly Tunisia, for rural countries Somalia,Sudan,and Yemen.The rangeis similar infant of in mortality rates,whichare near or below 50 per thousandlive births the and Tunisiabutexceed 100 in MauGulf Lebanon,Syria, Jordan, countries, ritania, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. indicaand betweendemographic socioeconomic Simplecorrelations between tors (see Figures2 and 3) show a moderatenegativecorrelation
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