Assignment #3 [Bryanna von Schneidau]

Assignment #3 Soc 166

Bryanna von Schneidau

Based on the data collected on the above country case studies, it can be concluded that the prevalence of Catholicism does not have a direct influence on birth control use nor a countries birth rates. Other factors such as literacy, infant mortality and life expectancy rates have a much more direct influence. For instance, when comparing countries with high percentages of Catholicism such as Brazil (73.6% Catholic) and the Dominican Republic (95% Catholic), we can see that these two countries have the lowest literacy rates of the 6 case countries; Brazil with 90.40% and the Dominican Republic with 90.10%. Additionally both have some of the highest infant mortality rates, Brazil with 19.83 infant deaths and Dominican Republic at 20.44 deaths. Furthermore, both Brazil and the Dominican Republic have strong contraceptive prevalence rates (between 72-80%) but have the lowest life expectancy within the case countries consisting of high Catholic populations. Therefore, despite that Brazil and the Dominican Republic have high Catholicism, there is also a strong prevalence of contraceptive use despite the high rate of live births. 

On another note, although Austria has the same percentage of Catholicism present in its population, the data shows that Austria has a lower rate of contraceptive prevalence, lower birth rate, and significantly lower infant mortality rate but also has longer life expectancy and nearly an 8% increase in population literacy rates. This could mean that because Austrians are more literate, they are able to use contraceptive more effectively or properly than individuals from Brazil. It could also mean that Brazilians have poorer living and sanitary conditions which possesses them to have more children because the rate of infant mortality is elevated despite the high rate of contraceptive use.  Regardless, the presence of Catholicism does not seem to affect birth rates in any way within this case study.

Analyzing populations with low rates of Catholicism also does not provide adequate information nor does it show any real correlation between Catholicism and birth rates. Norway is only 1% Catholic and is the only country within my case study that is 100% literate. They have just over an 88% rate of contraceptive prevalence and the longest rate of life expectancy just slightly behind France. Norway also has a very low rate of infant mortality. Here we can see a very strong correlation between low birth rates and literacy. When compared to Afghanistan, which virtually has no Catholic population as well, their birth rates, total fertility rates, and infant mortality rates are the highest out of all 9 countries. Further, Afghanistan has the lowest rate of contraceptive prevalence, literacy rates and life expectancy. The correlation between the standard of living and the rates of literacy seem to be highly correlated. Because Afghanistan’s population is only 28.10% literate it makes sense as to why their infant mortality rates are so high, at 119.41 deaths compared to Norway’s 3.47 deaths. Women from Afghanistan are having the most babies because so many of them do not live past their 5^th birthdays.  

In conclusion, this data suggest that there are stronger and more prevalent factors affecting birth rates such as literacy and infant mortality rather than the percentage of Catholicism within a given population. Countries with the highest literacy rates also tended to have the highest rates of contraception use, the lowest birth rates,  lowest infant mortality rates and longer life expectancy regardless of how much of the population considered themselves Catholic.