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In Search of Reasons for the Comparatively Higher Fertility among Muslim Women in Delhi, India: Postulating a Cultural Hypothesis

Three hypotheses dominate the literature on fertility and religion, viz., “particular theological hypothesis” which argues that religious doctrines and ideologies influence contraceptive use and fertility behaviour of different religious groups; “characteristics hypothesis” which argues that differentials in fertility and contraceptive use between majority and minority religious groups are due to socio-economic and demographic factors; and “minority hypothesis” which asserts that minority-group status exerts an independent influence on fertility behaviour. These hypotheses are the subject of discussion in this paper as to how pervasive general explanation can be a limiting factor to contextual studies or local studies and what are the gaps or missing elements in these theories? In this paper, I would like to attempt to show how generalization can be applicable to any religious group in a pluralistic society and propose a “cultural hypothesis” which postulates that religious group differentials in reproductive behaviour may be due to differences in norms, values, and attitudes towards fertility among different religious groups. An empirical part of this paper attempts to explore the role of culture in the reproductive behaviour of Muslim women in Delhi, India.