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I think the question should be: why do Americans and people in developing countries have such a high birth rate?
Absolutely right.
Let's stop worrying about the low European birthrate, it's a godsend in our overpopulated world. Everybody should do the same, less procreation, if we want to survive, that is!
Ever seen "Idiocracy"?
As people become more civilized and less religious, they tend to focus on being successful people before being successful parents. People wait until their 30s to have kids, then stop after just 1 or 2. In civilized society, the more kids you have, the worse off you'll be. In reality, this world would be a far better place if couples only had 1 child instead of litters. The population would go back to a level that doesn't destroy the globe and use up all resources.
Because as economic opportunities for women rise, fertility rates decline. Economic opportunities for women in Europe are among the highest in the world.
When you have a career, technology at your fingertips, a pretty nice place to live, etc, you just don't think much about having kids. The European governments also aren't helping... just sitting there rather than telling their people over the news to have more kids.
When you have a career, technology at your fingertips, a pretty nice place to live, etc, you just don't think much about having kids. The European governments also aren't helping... just sitting there rather than telling their people over the news to have more kids.
Would the government telling you to have more kids over the news really make you want to do it?
I believe one factor (among many) is also that a society under socialistic government lives with very little risk. They have learned to rely on the government to take care of everything; and everything is insured, from unemployment, liability, household, illness, accidents, pets, etc. The government ensures a minimum living standard that guarantees housing, retirement, transportation, vacation, food and education from elementary school trough university.
When people are socialized in such an environment, they tend to avoid risk and look to the government to take care of them.
Having children is a risk, but in the past (and in may societies still) they were a guarantee for our welfare in old age. The more children, the better insurance against poverty and neglect later in life. If those risks are eliminated by the government, the need to secure one's future through kids is no longer important.
I believe one factor (among many) is also that a society under socialistic government lives with very little risk. They have learned to rely on the government to take care of everything; and everything is insured, from unemployment, liability, household, illness, accidents, pets, etc. The government ensures a minimum living standard that guarantees housing, retirement, transportation, vacation, food and education from elementary school trough university.
When people are socialized in such an environment, they tend to avoid risk and look to the government to take care of them.
Having children is a risk, but in the past (and in may societies still) they were a guarantee for our welfare in old age. The more children, the better insurance against poverty and neglect later in life. If those risks are eliminated by the government, the need to secure one's future through kids is no longer important.
Just my 2 cents.
I agree, but would assert that the bottom line in determining whether or not to have a lot of kids or just a few is financial safety -- not necessarily a government's socialist policies. Government's involvement in securing safety for its citizens is one vehicle, true, but even in the U.S. where the government is less involved, people with good retirement plans and savings have less need to depend on their children in old age. So again, good economic opportunities -- no matter how that's achieved -- leads to a decline in birth rates.
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