Population and community development: demographic and socio-economic impacts of integrating family planning with community development in new land settlements in Malaysia

Abstract

In this study we developed a framework for the analysis of demographic and socio-economic impacts of integrating family planning with community development in new land schemes in Malaysia. The main hypotheses of the study are: (i) because of the difference in working pattern and household income between settlers of matured and immatured land schemes , there is likely to be a set of demographic and socio-economic impacts of integrating family planning with community developme nt which are dependent on the age of the scheme, (ii) further, there is a set of demographic and socia-economic impacts which are agriculture activity-dependent (i.e. dependent on the predominant type of agriculture activity undertaken by the settlers) , and (iii ) there is also a set of demographic and socio-economic impacts which are independent of the settler ' s main agriculture activity , but dependent upon the nature and intensity with which community activities are integrated with family planning (e.g. the variety of community activities integrated with family planning in the scheme, etc.). Although the data for the study has not been collected, some preliminary results from a previous s tudy done by Zainuddin et. aL L-1/7/ are presented to offer partial support of the hypotheses, in pa rticular the third hypothesis i. e. integrating family planning with community development does have a positive relationship with the acceptance of family planning by the participating households. This provides some justification on the validity of the framework elaborated. It is envisaged that the complete data required for the study will be collected from a survey of the field staff and settlers in about 40 Felda schemes in Peninsular Malaysia in 1981.After the verification, or otherwise, of the hypotheses, it is the intention of the study to examine conditions under which the positive demographic and socio-economic impacts can be enhanced, and the conditions under which the negative impacts can be reduced. The findings of this study will have important policy implications with respect to the local agency supervisors, national programme managers as well as central economic planners. At the local level, the findings will assist the agency supervisors to improve their delivery impacts. At the national programme managers' level, the findings will be ,useful in the drafting of guidelines for evaluating and monitoring integrated agency impacts. Finally, at the central planning level, the results can be useful inputs for resolving questions of the future directions of the Felda integrated programme.