Changing patterns of marital and reproductive behavior of young women in the urban settlement (on the example of Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan oblast, Kazakhstan)

Abstract

Changing patterns of marital and reproductive behavior of young women in the urban settlement (on the example of Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan oblast, Kazakhstan) Abstract This study primarily addresses nuptiality and fertility patterns among youth in East Kazakhstan region. The data are obtained from censuses, vital statistics and two surveys "Marital and reproductive behavior of young women in Ust-Kamenogorsk" conducted in 2009 and 2016. The survey data collection has been supported by Center of International programs of Kazakhstan "Bolashak" and Charles University in Prague. The thesis examines demographic behaviours of two main ethnicities (Kazakh and Russian) in East Kazakhstan oblast and influence of such factors like ethnicity, education, place of residence and socio- economic conditions on their marital and reproductive behaviour. East Kazakhstan oblast, compared with other regions of Kazakhstan, has lower birth and marriage rates, higher divorce rates, higher share of non-native ethnicities residing in urban areas and higher proportion of female workers employed in the industrial sector. The author tries to evaluate the importance of marriage to young females and its relation to their reproductive and marital behaviour. The general tendency observed from the conducted survey was that young women...