Useful for GNM, BSc, PBBSc & MSc Nursing Students

2. SMALL FAMILY NORM
Shamil.C.B
Associate Professor
Teerthanker Mahaveer University

3. The size of the family is a matter of great
importance not only for the country as a whole
but also for the welfare and health of the
individual, the family and the community.
A norm in relation to family size,
according to sociologists, implies a pattern
which sets limits for any community‘s fertility
behaviour.
Small Family Norm

4. Concepts/Themes Of Small Family
Norm
• “Sons/daughter – two will do”.
• “Second child after 3 years”.
• “Universal immunization”.

5. The size of the family affects of quality of life
of human beings. The quality of life does not only
pertain to economic standards of living.
Family size affects:
- Basic human needs
- Income and growth of the economy and
savings
- Food and nutrition-quality and quantity.
- Uses of land and urban public system
- Health, especially that of mother and child.
- Education, particularly that of children.
FACTORS AFFECTING OF FAMILY SIZE

6. FAMILY SIZE AND BASIC HUMAN
NEEDS
Food, clothing and shelter, primary health
care and basic education are essential needs.

7. BIGGER THE FAMILY LOWER THE
SHARE OF BASIC NEEDS
In any society, other things being equal,
the larger the size of the family, the relatively
smaller will be the per capita share of basic
needs for individuals and the family. Similarly,
declining size and fewer members of the
family results in bigger per capita share
required for existence and development.

8. FAMILY SIZE, FOOD AND
NUTRITION
Every increase in family size results in
decrease in per capita food and nutrition
availability and this slows down the quality of
nutrition and improvement of health standards.
this, in turn,has its effect on productivity of
labour, which ultimately affects the overall
economic development.

9. FAMILY SIZE, FOOD AND
NUTRITION

10. FAMILY SIZE, FRAGMENTATION OF
LAND AND URBAN PUBLIC SYSTEM
Preference for a large family size
eventually leads to fragmentation of land
holdings, especially in rural communities
which has its effect on low per capita
productivity. This results in migration of the
population from rural to urban areas which, in
turn, exerts pressures on urban public systems,
leading to poor social and economic
development

11. FAMILY SIZE, FRAGMENTATION OF
LAND AND URBAN PUBLIC SYSTEM

12. FAMILY SIZE AND HEALTH
Various studies have shown higher mortality
among mothers and children in large sized families.
Early marriage, followed by too early pregnancy, too many
children, too frequently till the advance reproductive age of
the mother, affect the health of the mother as well as that of the
child.
A study done by WHO in Southern Indian with
a sample of 6000 women, has shown that infant mortality was
200 when the birth interval was only one year and it was 80
when the birth interval was 3-4 years.

13. FAMILY SIZE AND EDUCATION
Family size is seen to be related to
education, where the mother's education is high,
the family size is usually smaller and infant
mortality is also relatively lower.
The level of the mother's education and its
impact on family size is evident in the State of
Kerala, where female literacy is the highest, and it
has the lowest birth rate, and the child mortality
rate is also the lowest in the country.

14. WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS OF A
LARGE AND UNPLANNED FAMILY?
There are certain hazards of large and
unplanned families. These hazards are going to
affect not only the mothers and children, but
also the family as a whole, and subsequently,
the community and the nation.

15. HAZARDS OF UNPLANNED LARGE
FAMILY
TOO EARLY MARRIAGE
• More chances to develop cancer of cervix (neck of
womb)
• Discontinuation of education leads to lack of
proper job opportunity

16. TOO FREQENT PREGNANCIES
•Ill-health of mother
• Low birth weight or sick baby
• divided attention between children

17. TOO EARLY PREGANCY
•Abortion
•Still birth (dead baby)
•Premature birth
•Low birth weight baby
•Increased infant mortality

18. TOO MANY PREGNANCIES
•Unhappiness and disharmony in the
family
• Difficulty in providing proper
education
to the children

19. WHY PLAN A SMALL FAMILY:
A small planned family has many
advantages and benefits. The planning for a
family starts from marriages at the proper age.
Keeping in view the legal and
biological aspects, a girl should not be married
before the completion of eighteen years of
birth the mother and the child is when the
woman is between 20-30 years of age.

20. ADVANTAGES OF A SMALL AND
PLANNED FAMILY
Advantages for the mothers
• Loss of fear about unwanted pregnancy.
• More time and energy to give proper
attention and love to her children.
• More time to participate in other fruitful
activities like education, vocational training,
community projects etc.
- Can avail of better job opportunities
when not tied down by small children.

21. • Less chances of fetal death, birth
defects, mortality during infancy and
childhood.
• Conducive atmosphere for proper
physical and psychological growth of the
child.
• Gets proper nutrition, education,
parental care and love.
ADVANTAGES FOR THE CHILD

22. ADVANTAGES FOR THE COMMUNITYAND
COUNTRY
• Conservation of natural resources and savings.
• Enough schools, hospitals and other basic services.
• More employment
• Planned families would gradually bring happiness,
peace, harmony, prosperity.

23. ADVANTAGES FOR THE FATHER
•Can provide sound economic base for the family.
•Can provide children with better education,
comfort, food, clothing, recreation etc.
•Can be more relaxed and enjoy good
health.
• Improved living standards, better health,
more productive labour force

24. ADVANTAGES OF A SMALL AND
PLANNED FAMILY

25. WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO HELP
PEOPLE ADOPT THE SMALL FAMILY NORM ?
The efforts are being made in two ways.
First, by providing the necessary information and
services to help people adopt the small family norm.
Secondly, attempts are being made to change the
associated environmental factors i.e. increase in
female literacy. raising the status of women and the age
at marriage, improvements in general social and
economic conditions, which are often described as
beyond family planning measures.

26. ADVANTAGES OF A SMALL AND
PLANNED FAMILY

27. CONCLUSION :
While it may appear self-evident that two-child
family is a happy family, widespread acceptance of the
two-child norms has not yet taken place in the country
due to various religious, cultural and socio-economic
factors.
Concerted efforts, therefore, need to be made to
provide the necessary information and education to the
people, especially in rural areas and urban slums to
motivate them to accept the
two-child family norm.

28. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME