Date of Award

5-1969

Degree Type

Report

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology

Committee Chair(s)

Armand L. Mauss

Committee

Armand L. Mauss

Abstract

This study was undertaken because of the seemingly large families of the Mormons in Logan, Utah. Until this year I had never been in an area where Mormons made up a significant proportion of the population and had not realized the apparent difference in family size when compared to non-Mormons.

As a member of the Experienced Teacher Fellowship Program, I also had occasion to take two classes in Marriage and Family in the Family Life College at the University, and this also stirred my interest in the subject.

In the process of reviewing the literature on family size (fertility) and attitudes towards contraception, the conclusion was reached that Mormons do not fit the national norms with reference to these two areas. (They do seem to compare with Catholics and certain fundamentalists groups, however.)

The independent variable that seemed most relevant in an effort to understand the high fertility rate of this particular group was religious commitment. In this study and attempt has been made to find a significant relationship between high religious commitment and the expressed desire for large "ideal family size."

I also hypothesized (mainly by observation) that Mormon S.E.S. was not significant independent variable when considering attitudes towards contraception and family size. After gathering the data and analyzing it, this hypothesis seems incorrect.

Such intervening variables as age, sex, and urban-rural background differences were analyzed in this study to determine to what extent they were and influence.

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