Women's Equity and Single Parent Births
Data from 49 countries were found which had both the percent of women in tertiary education and the percent of births to unwed mothers (see Appendix III). The relationship between the two indices was significant (rp =.367; p <.05; 2-tailed).
As the proportion of women in tertiary education increased, so did the proportion of out-of-wedlock births. Approximately 13% (.3672 =.134 = 13%) of the variability in single parent births can be attributed to changes in the level of female participation in tertiary education. For the data by country, see Appendix III.There were twenty countries in which both the ratio of women's income (to that of men's) and the percentage of out-of-wedlock births were available. The relationship between the two indices was significant (rp =.649; p <.01; 2-tailed); as the ratio approached unity, the proportion of single parent births increased. Nearly 42% (.6492 =.421 = 42%) of the differences in the level of out-of-wedlock births can be attributed to changes in the income ratio. See Appendix III.
There were 18 countries that reported all three indices. The relationship between the percentage of single parent births and the two indices of women's equity (proportion of women in tertiary institutions and the ratio of women's earnings to that of men's) acting in tandem was significant (R =.758; F(2,15) = 8.61; p <.01). Over half (adjusted R2 =.514 = 51.4%) of the variance in single parents can be attributed to changes in the other two variables.
Hence, two quite disparate biocultural formulae are in competition with each other. One, the Moslem swath, has (i) a high rate of annual natural increase (mean = 3.0%, s = 1.1%; n = 21)3 and (ii) restricted options for its women. Two, Europe has a (i) low rate of annual natural increase (mean = 0.4%, s = 0.3%, n = 29). [Note that the Moslem rate of natural increase is more than seven times the Europe rate and is also significantly higher than the European rate {t [48] = 10.3; p <.01, 2-tailed], and (ii) enhanced options for their women. The benefits of the “European” system can be envisioned as increased freedom for women, some consequences are lesser population growth and fatherlessness. The pattern of the “Moslem” system is population expansion and greater father-child interaction, with restricted freedom for women.
Reduced fathering in a community eventuates in pressures for increased violent behavior by that community's men. As culture's structure increased freedom for women, unintended sequelae might include enhanced levels of anti-social, or deviant, or violent behaviors within those cultures.