Organization for Change: A Systems Analysis of Family Planning in Rural India (Michigan Papers on South and Southeast Asia)

Organization for Change examines family planning in rural India through a series of relationships between agencies, the rural population, and the wider social and political environment, using quantitative and qualitative data collected at the individual household, village, rural primary health center, district, and state levels. It covers a wide range of topics: the social and demographic characteristics of Allahabad Division, attitudes toward family planning and other factors which influence contraception. The authors describe the organization of rural primary health centers and the interations between the extension staff and the rural population, analyze variations in the performance of the field staff and examine the structure and functioning of the medical and health bureaucracy at the district state level. The information is based on surveys of villagers in rural Allahabad Division, and workers in rural health centers, and formal interviews with administrators and officials at the district and state level of the Ministry of Health.

Two basic objectives have guided the research presented in this book. The first is to describe and analyze the functioning of the family planning program and the poor response it is receiving in the rural areas of the Allahabad Division. The second major objective of this study is to test hypotheses concerning the influence of different factors on the acceptance of family planning and on program performance.

Bhaskar D. MISRA is a well known demographer. He holds Ph.D. degree from the University of Chicago with specialization in demography and problems of population control.

Ali ASHRAF is Professor of Political Science at Jamia Millia Islamia.</