Annotated Source

I wrote a political science paper on an interesting theory about the spillover effects of microcredit.  In this study, Empowerment of Microcredit Participants and Its Spillover Effects: Evidence from the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, Abdul Basher theorizes that participation in microcredit programs reduces the birth rate. Basher’s theory is based on fairly sound casual logic, but is centered on ethnocentric and unproven assumptions that undercut its validity.  This theory is based heavily on the fact that microcredit occurs in developing nations where the male based cultures cause women to have many children in order to produce an heir. The theory seems to suggest that the success women experience in microcredit lends them the confidence to defy cultural norms and choose to have less children. The theory, although sound is explained in an arrogant manner. It seems to boast in the obvious fact that childbearing is a poor activity that is irrational and best minimized. However, it is interesting to note how seriously an endeavor like microcredit can affect the lives of the community. It is truly incredible that participation in an economic program can change the family structure of its members. I wonder if these effects are the result of exposure to western ideals and if these changes extend to healthcare. Do these women have births at a western style hospital? Do they receive prenatal care?