@rajk999said Its the way God wanted things to be. To have big families, lots of kids and activities. Big families are the happiest people on the planet, although often the poorest. Too much material wealth [and love for material things] leads to less kids and more excuses about how kids are expensive.
My parents were never poor. They were hard working farmers.
@metal-brainsaid My parents were never poor. They were hard working farmers.
Apparently they COULD afford you.
There is a phenomenon where extremely poor people instinctively have lots and lots of kids because they are likely to die (e.g. Blacks, Mexicans, Irish Catholics in the past*) but the people of this country aren't THAT poor. The majority are hovering just above that level of poverty but below the middle class level of "Leave it to Beaver" healthy, wholesome family.
For example, me. My family never wanted me to breed like a Mexican knocking up girls in their early teens but society doesn't want me to have enough money to comfortable live and raise a healthy family. So, no kids.
https://www.prb.org/usrecessionandbirthrate/
The U.S. birth rate has exhibited some remarkable swings over the past 80 years (see Figure 1).1 Two record low points occurred during two periods of serious economic crisis: the Great Depression and the somewhat less traumatic “oil shock” inflationary period of the 1970s. It is thus logical to speculate that the current period of stark economic reality and the resultant apprehension for the future will see a similar decline in births.
The U.S. birth rate reached an all-time low in 1936 when the TFR fell to 2.1 children per woman in the wake of the stock market crash of 1929. The next low occurred in 1976 when the TFR fell to another record low of 1.7.
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It is certainly too soon to tell if this economic crisis will result in a sharp drop in the birth rate. But all the measures and indicators, along with the collapse of mainstays of the economy, are much worse than in the 1970s.
@metal-brainsaid Children are subsidized by government. Even with the C19 stimulus checks. Add to that the EIC, Child tax credit and Social services.
If someone is relying on social services they can't afford kids but they are so desperate they breed anyway. This is the phenomenon that causes people to say "why are people having kids they can't afford?!"
When the global fertility rate was high, it was a period when the very high mortality at a young age kept population growth low. However, as health improves and the mortality in the population decreases, there was accelerated population growth.
This rapid population growth then comes to an end as the fertility rate declines and approaches 2 children per woman.
Also, on a farm children are valuable labor which offsets the cost to raise them. This isn't true in all environments.
@athousandyoungsaid If someone is relying on social services they can't afford kids but they are so desperate they breed anyway. This is the phenomenon that causes people to say "why are people having kids they can't afford?!"
When the global fertility rate was high, it was a period wh ...[text shortened]... ldren are valuable labor which offsets the cost to raise them. This isn't true in all environments.
You make some valid points, but many people breed by accident. I didn't plan either of my 2 kids who are now adults. It is a bit more complicated than that.
@metal-brainsaid You make some valid points, but many people breed by accident. I didn't plan either of my 2 kids who are now adults. It is a bit more complicated than that.
I doubt you only had sex twice so I'm guessing you used some kind of birth control. This implies you had enough sex education and access to these products to use them. That is family planning even if you slipped up on occasion.
@athousandyoungsaid I doubt you only had sex twice so I'm guessing you used some kind of birth control. This implies you had enough sex education and access to these products to use them. That is family planning even if you slipped up on occasion.
Agreed. The second article that was posted highlighted pressures women faced to conform to traditional roles after marriage, which often means sacrificing their careers.
That was simply one issue brought up (out of many) that seems to be hindering young people from getting into relationships.
The first article describes the problem of declining birth rates, the second article provides insight into what's causing it. Young Japanese are losing interest not just in dating but having sex period. I think the history of aversion to public displays of affection comes from something deeply rooted in japanese society that contributes to the avoidance of relationships (in addition to issues like sexism and marriage hindering women's careers).
Women in "less Westernized" times probably had less say in whether they wanted to bear children or not than now. So it's no surprise birthrates would be higher.
The aversion to public displays of affection seems to go hand-in-hand with young Japanese being afraid of intimacy. Aversion to public displays of affection seem to stem from something cultural that hinders young Japanese from expressing things like love and desire.
Anyway, aversion to PDA was just a thought I was throwing in the mix.
10 May '21 00:041 edit
YouTube : Monty Python Protestants
Japan's falling birthrate
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