Global Influences on Malawians' Family Size Preferences

Jeffrey Swindle, Harvard University

Scholars theorize that messages advocating for small family size are promoted worldwide. This paper examines the influence of global messages advocating for small family size on the ideal family size preferences of people in Malawi. It is argued that Malawians are exposed to such messages through education curricula, media programs, urban environments, and foreign aid- funded family planning interventions. Combining surveys with administrative and archival data, I test the influence of these mechanisms of global messaging in Malawi. Education is related to lower preferences in family size, especially exposure to the Life Skills and Social Studies subjects in the national curriculum. Newspaper and television use, along with urban living, are also associated with smaller preferences. Notably, neither radio use nor the implementation of family planning interventions are associated with smaller family size preferences.