A methodology of analyzing fertility transition among sedentarizing pastoral nomads

Using the example of the Israeli Negev Bedouin, the paper attempted to outline a methodology for studying fertility transition among sedentarizing pastoral nomads. The central idea is that, given lack of historical data, it is possible to substitute development phases along the nomadism-sedentarism continuum (that is, space) for time, and drawing fertility transition conclusions from comparison of phases. Certainly, the methodology suffers from several weaknesses, the main one lying in the assumption does not facilitate drawing authentic conclusions about the transition process. For the same reason, the assumption does not facilitate generation of realistic fertility information in a manner usually employed for forecasting. Lack of realism and authenticity, however, should not play a major role here, since the purpose of the purposed methodology is to identify a fertility transition process of sedentarizing pastoral nomads. Such a process has indeed been identified. Its conformity with studies for which historical data were available and with theoretical postulates indicates the major strength of the methodology despite its analogous and indirect nature. -from Authors