This text outline omits illustrations.
Population Transitions in Mexico: a Historical Perspective (1540-1990)
Three great transitions in Mexican population:
1. Mortality: life expectancy at birth rose from 25 years to 70 in 1992.
2. Marriage: female marriage age rose from 13 years to 24 years in 1990.
3. Fertility: completed family size fell from 8 children to 3.2 in 1992.
The peopling of Mexico in the 20th century: rapid demographic growth beginning in 1930
1900 13 million inhabitants
Rapid social improvements in recent years: Mexico & Chiapas.
1. The Mortality Transition: Mexico is catching up with the USA
Infant mortality has declined greatly but still more than 3% of infants die before first birthday.
2. The Fertility Transition: 7 children in 1970 to 3.2 in 1992
Fertility: A comparison with the USA age curve
Mexico’s fertility in 1971 lagged USA by a century
Very rapid fertility decline, 1970-1992.
3. The Marriage Transition, 1540-1990
PPT Slide
The transition in marriage frequencies: Mexico, 1540 - 1990 (females 15+)
Child Marriage & Extended Families Among the Nahuas (Aztecs), 1540.
How have Mexican marriage patterns
& family living changed in the past five centuries?
Baseline: Nahua censuses of 1540
Debate over Nahua Marriage
Did Nahuas marry relatively late before the conquest (say, age 25 for females)?
Black Legend: with Spanish conquest, did female marriage age fall due to extortions of Spanish over-lords (encomenderos), such as Hernan Cortes, and missionaries?
Nahua Marriageways: What did marriage mean to the Aztecs?
“They took each other.” “His woman.”
Three features of Nahua marriage in these censuses (800 marriages, 1 Christian) 1. co-residence of husband and wife 2. permancence of union, until death 3. offspring (or an explanation for none)
Marriage was essential for full adult status
Polygyny was rare (16 women for 4 men)
Conclusion: Optimism.
The demographic explosion is over in Mexico.
Strong traditions of family and marriage continue.
Economic and political problems are more difficult to resolve--but given the enormous demographic and social changes in recent decades...