Birth, death, and relocation are major life events. Whether in modern Western Europe or in the traditional society of the Teminabuan population (a rural society in Irian Jaya, Indonesia), these events constitute three milestones in a lifetime. Choosing a partner and (generally) opting for parenthood, the desire to protect children and other close relatives from illness and death, as well as decisions involving relocation and the adjustments such a move requires, are events we all face in life. How we deal with these ‘challenges’ is determined by the characteristics of the society in which we live, the prevailing norms and attitudes. The specific combination of these factors, together with the people’s own free-will, influence the final (birth, death, migration) outcome. The understanding of demographic features such as fertility, mortality, and migration therefore entails more than simply quoting statistics. It requires a study of the background variables. This study presents the figures as well as the direct and indirect determinants of fertility, mortality, and migration, as found in the present-day Teminabuan subdistrict, a previously uncharted area. This data demonstrates how the study population deals with their challenges in life.
Hendrika Lautenbach graduated in non-western demography (University of Groningen). The present research was carried out while she was working in the programme ‘Irian Jaya Studies, a programme for Interdisciplinary Research’ (ISIR) which is based in Leiden. During the research she was posted at the Population Research Centre of the University of Groningen. She is currently working at Statistics Netherlands (CBS) in Heerlen.
