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In Mozambique, social diversity within church congregations encourages contraceptive use

International Family Planning Perspectives, Jun 2002 by Klitsch, M

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Social interaction within religious congregations appears to have had a strong impact on the adoption of contraceptive use in Mozambique, particularly in large cities.1 An analysis of 1997 Demographic and Health Survey data for large cities and rural areas indicates that city women who belong to less diverse and more socially isolated denominations or have no religious affiliation are less likely than mainstream Christian women to have ever practiced contraception or to have discussed it with friends or relatives. A similar but weaker association exists among women living in rural areas, probably because of the minimal social diversity within and among church congregations in rural Mozambique.

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Contraceptive adoption and fertility change are probably affected by social interactions among women; church activities are among the situations in which such interactions may take place. The impact of religious involvement on an individual's attitudes toward and knowledge about contraception, however, is difficult to analyze, because religions have widely divergent views on contraception and fertility, and types of social interaction may differ among religious groups.

To explore this issue, a sociologist studied qualitative and quantitative data collected in Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony with relatively high fertility and a low level of contraceptive use. The investigator's hypothesis was that through shared church membership, individuals establish informational links that help transmit innovative reproductive practices, usually from women of higher social status to those of lower status. However, he expected the extent to which innovative practices are diffused to differ by type of religion: Some religions promote social isolation, in which members interact mostly with other members, and this may limit people's access to new ideas.

Census data from 1997 indicate that 24% of people in Mozambique are Roman Catholics, 8% are "mainstream" Protestants (such as Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians), and 17% belong to churches that practice an indigenous type of Pentecostalism (often known as Zionist churches).* In addition, one in five are Muslims and one in four practice no religion. Muslims were excluded from the study, as women's participation in Islam and Christianity differs.

A research team collected qualitative data during 1998 and 1999 in the suburban area surrounding Maputo, the nation's capital. Church leaders and leaders of women's church groups were interviewed in three Catholic parishes, two mainstream Protestant churches, several Zionist congregations and two churches with practices similar to those of Zionism. In addition, focus groups were conducted among adherents of the various religious denominations, and religious services and weekly women's group meetings were observed.

The investigator notes that in every observed event, women outnumbered men; for urban African women, he comments, "church offers a vital form of association, social support, and identity that complements-and often replaces-the crumbling institutions of family and kinship." In particular, the Zionist churches focus on family issues and emphasize the important role that women play in maintaining a strong family. One result, the researcher observes, is that in weekly church group meetings women's conversations are "usually devoted to exchanges of ideas on how to keep their husbands satisfied, children fed, and houses clean."

In general, the Christian churches studied did not differ much in their official positions on the use of contraceptives: The mainstream Protestant denominations and the Zionist churches, for example, both took a neutral stance. Moreover, according to the investigator, while Catholicism officially rejects modern contraception, "the local clergy does not actively pursue the anti-contraceptive agenda" of the church. Thus, doctrinal differences per se might not have substantial direct effects on members' contraceptive practices.

On the other hand, contraception is generally not formally discussed in the Zionist churches, often because individuals perceive it as something in which church leaders have little interest. In addition, Zionist churches are often quite homogeneous, and members are warned to limit their social contact with the "impure" outside world. In contrast, the Catholic and mainstream Protestant congregations are generally more heterogeneous and are more open to outside influences. According to the researcher, it is not unusual for nurses or others with appropriate training to discuss family planning at church women's meetings. The Protestant and Catholic women also reported having received advice on preventing HIV infection that included information on family planning.

The researcher observes that "at first glance, Zionist women's interaction in and outside the congregations is very similar to that of mainstream church members." Yet whereas Zionist women are "more engaged in the life of their congregations," he comments, they also are more homogeneous in their educational attainment and social class (both most often quite low). In addition, because of the Zionist women's mostly self-imposed isolation from the larger society, they probably have less access than the other women to new ideas. Finally, although older women in Zionist congregations are expected to advise younger women on marital and reproductive matters, they are unlikely to have had much experience with modern contraceptives.

In Mozambique, social diversity within church congregations encourages contraceptive use

International Family Planning Perspectives, Jun 2002 by Klitsch, M

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