The analytical framework of this study focuses on several conceptual variables for which empirical counterparts are not readily available: the death of children; the economic resources of the family that grow out of the efforts of husband, wife, and child, each of whose contribution affects differently the relative attractiveness of children; the educational system that has a direct bearing on the cost of rearing children, influences the achievement goals parents set for their offspring, and may also explain differential access to modern methods of birth control; and finally, the web of social and public policies that shape the function of the family and the role of children therein, altering the costs and benefits of rearing a large or small number of children. (Author)