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This report forms a contribution to the study of the differential fertility of social categories within populations. Particularly it is the purpose to posit the problem for the social categories and occupational groups in Belgium. In a general analysis of the subject, the trend of differential fertility in the modern industrialized countries is outlined and various socio-biological theories are discussed and criticized. From the end of the last century until the first quarter of this century, it was observed as a general phenomenon in the modern industrialized western countries that the higher and socio-economically favored categories had a much lower birth rate than the poorer and the unskilled groups. In the same way a marked differential fertility was found between the urban and rural population groups. The urban populations appeared not able to maintain themselves biologically, but expanded only thanks to the flow of immigrants coming from the rural parts. A few theories on the anti-selective action of these phenomena and on the dysgenic action of the big cities, theories which were mainly based on the findings of the intelligence tests, on the facts of differential demographic development and differential migration, are discussed. More recent sporadic facts show that the earlier observed differences tend to reduce and in certain cases an inverse correlation between social status and birth rate has been found. Taking into consideration this more recent development it is stated that the phenomena of negative correlation of family size and social status seem to be only a temporary symptom of the modern industrial society in evolution . Nevertheless the significance of the differential fertility for the biological composition, the social and cultural evolution of populations is emphasized. A thorough knowledge of the actual situation and the evolution of the differential fertility in a population is a prerequisite for a scientificly pursued population policy. In spite of the importance of these problems, no or little detailed material on these questions is available for Belgium. The data of the general census of 1947 show that imporant differences in family size do exist for the various ethnic, and regional groups, for the urban-rural groups and for the various urban categories. A few small investigations of the differential fertility in a few Flemish rural and industrial municipalities and middle-class towns have been undertaken. The fertility rates for the most imporant occupational groups show clear differences. As usual, the farmers have the largest families. For the middle-class and industrial municipalities the upperclass ran the highest, a fact which seems to 257 agree with the more recent development in a few other countries. Further come successively the clerks, the laborers, the skilled laborers and finally, with the least number of living born children, the traders and shopkeepers. The differences between various regions appeared in certain cases to be more important than the differences between occupational groups. These facts, which should not be generalized, suggest that the problem of differential fertility exists in this country and that more extensive investigations should be undertaken.
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How to Cite: Cliquet, R. (1958) “Differentiële vruchtbaarheid: een probleemstelling voor België”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen. 3(4). doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95561