Natalism

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Natalism (also called pronatalism or the pro-birth position) is an ideology that promotes the reproduction of human life as an important objective of being human and advocates high birthrate. [1] According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term, as it relates to the belief itself, dates from 1971 and comes from French : nataliste, formed from French : natalité, birthrate. [2]

Contents

Natalism promotes child-bearing and parenthood as desirable for social reasons and to ensure the continuance of humanity. Some philosophers have noted that if humans fail to have children, humans would become extinct. [3] [4] While many reproductive rights advocates and environmentalists see it as a driver of reproductive injustice, population growth, and ecological overshoot. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Natalism in public policy typically seeks to create financial and social incentives for populations to reproduce, such as providing tax incentives that reward having and supporting children. [6] Those who adhere to more strict natalism may seek to limit access to abortion and contraception, as well [11] . The opposite of natalism is antinatalism; however most feminists and reproductive rights advocates challenge natalism in order to elevate procreative freedom, and do not align with antinatalism. [12] [6]

Motives

Religion

Many religions encourage procreation, and religiousness in members can sometimes correlate to higher rates of fertility. [13] Judaism, [14] Islam, and major branches of Christianity, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [15] and the Catholic Church [16] [17] [18] [19] encourage procreation. In 1979 one research paper indicated that Amish people had an average of 6.8 children per family. [20] Among some conservative Protestants, the Quiverfull movement advocates for large families and views children as blessings from God. [21] [22] [23]

Intention to have children

An intention to have children is a substantial fertility factor in actually ending up doing so, but childless individuals who intend to have children immediately or within two or three years are generally more likely to succeed than those who intend to have children in the long term. [24] There are many determinants of the intention to have children, including:

Natalistic politics

Parking place for families with children, residential area. Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland Miejsce parkingowe dla rodzin z dziecmi na osiedlu Hubala I zarzadzanym przez SM ,,Przodownik" w Tomaszowie Mazowieckim, w wojewodztwie lodzkim.jpg
Parking place for families with children, residential area. Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland

The 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae criticized artificial contraception and advocated for a natalist position. [31]

According to the UN, the share of countries with pronatalist policies had grown from 20% in 2005 to 28% in 2019. [32]

Some countries with population decline offer incentives to the people to have large families as a means of national efforts to reverse declining populations. Incentives may include a one-time baby bonus, or ongoing child benefit payments or tax reductions. Some impose penalties or taxes on those with fewer children [7] [8] . Some nations, such as Japan [33] , Singapore, [34] and South Korea, [35] have implemented, or tried to implement, interventionist natalist policies, creating incentives for larger families among native stock. Immigrants are generally not part of natalist policies.

Paid maternity and paternity leave policies can also be used as an incentive. For example, Sweden has generous parental leave wherein parents are entitled to share 16 months' paid leave per child, the cost divided between both employer and state. Unfortunately, it appears not to work as desired. [36] [37]

Books advocating natalist policies include What to Expect When No One's Expecting by Jonathan V. Last [38] such as Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids by Bryan Caplan.

Books, films, and advocates that warn of the harms of natalism on reproductive rights and planetary health include The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World by Laura Carroll, To Kid or Not to Kid by Maxine Trump, My So-Called Selfish Life by Therese Shechter, and The Overpopulation Podcast by the US nonprofit Population Balance. In her book The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality, British science journalist, broadcaster and author Angela Saini identifies the emergence of states and empires about 5000 years ago as the roots of patriarchy and institutionalized pronatalism. [39]

Russia

Natalist thinking was common during the Soviet times. After a brief adherence to the strict Communist doctrine in 1920s and attempts to raise children communally, coupled with the government-provided healthcare, the Soviet government switched to neo-traditionalism, promoting family values and sobriety, banning abortions and making divorces harder to obtain, advancing natalist ideals that made mockery of irresponsible parents. The expanded opportunities for female employment caused a population crisis in 1930s, government had expanded access to child care starting at age of two. [40] After the Great Patriotic war the skewed ratio of men to women prompted additional financial assistance to women that had children or were pregnant. Despite the promotion and long maternity leave with maintenance of the employment and salary modernization still caused the birthrates to continue to unfortunately slide into the 1970's. [41]

The end of USSR in 1991 was accompanied by a large drop in fertility. [41] In 2006, Vladimir Putin made the demographics an important issue, [42] instituting a two-prong approach of direct financial rewards and socio-cultural policies. The notable example of the former is the maternal-capital program where the woman is provided with subsidies that can be spent only on improved housing or the education of a child (and can also be saved for the retirement). [43]

Hungary

The Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán in 2019 announced pecuniary incentives (including eliminating taxes for mothers with more than three children, and reducing credit payments and easier access to loans), and expanding day care and kindergarten access. [44]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ Compare: McKeown, John (2014). "1: Natalism: A Popular Use of the Bible". God's Babies: Natalism and Bible Interpretation in Modern America. Cambridge: Open Books. p. 2. ISBN   9781783740529 . Retrieved 2018-12-08. Natalism is an ideology that advocates a high birth rate within a community.[...] The central message is that parents should have additional children.
  2. ↑ "natalism". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary .
  3. ↑ Anthony, Andrew (2023-07-22). "'What if everybody decided not to have children?' The philosopher questioning humanity's future". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 2024-02-06.
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  5. 1 2 Merz, Joseph J; Barnard, Phoebe; Rees, William E; Smith, Dane; Maroni, Mat; Rhodes, Christopher J; Dederer, Julia H; Bajaj, Nandita; Joy, Michael K; Wiedmann, Thomas; Sutherland, Rory (2023-09-20). "World scientists' warning: The behavioural crisis driving ecological overshoot". Science Progress. 106 (3). doi:10.1177/00368504231201372. ISSN   0036-8504. PMC   10515534 . PMID   37728669.
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  13. ↑ "Do Muslims Have More Children Than Other Women in Western Europe? – Population Reference Bureau" . Retrieved 2023-12-12. Women who report firm adherence to their religious beliefs and practices tend to have higher fertility than less religious women, whether Christian or Muslim. But religiousness does not always mean higher fertility. [...] The study confirms the perception that Muslim women have more children than non-Muslims in Western Europe, but shows that the gap is not as large as many believe. And, similar to other immigrants in other countries, Muslim fertility rates tend to fall over time, narrowing the gap with the non-Muslims who make up the vast majority of the European population now, and for the foreseeable future.
  14. ↑ "Mishnah Yevamot 6;6". Sefaria . Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  15. ↑ First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles (September 23, 1995), "Gospel Topics – The Family: A Proclamation to the World", LDS.org, LDS Church, retrieved 2013-12-11. See also: The Family: A Proclamation to the World
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  17. ↑ Pope Pius XI (1930-12-31). "Casti Connubii: Encyclical on Christian Marriage". Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana . Retrieved 2008-11-12.
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  23. ↑ Campbell, Nancy (2003). Be Fruitful and Multiply: What the Bible Says about Having Children. San Antonio: Vision Forum. ISBN   0-9724173-5-4.
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  41. 1 2 Kouprianova 2013, p. 153.
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Sources

Further reading

Calder, Vanessa Brown, and Chelsea Follett (August 10, 2023). Freeing American Families: Reforms to Make Family Life Easier and More Affordable, Policy Analysis no. 955, Cato Institute, Washington, DC.

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