4 ms·

Life is short, few things are more meaningful and rewarding than raising human beings.

User23 8y ago
It's also a net gain averaged out over time if the couple produces more than 2 children. It's a very rare person that can individually contribute more to their society than 3 or more well-raised new individuals. Obviously this is a decision for couples to make for themselves, not for bureaucrats, economists, or activists to make for them.
commandlinefan 8y ago
... which is why civilization built up a particular way over the course of 10,000 years ...
- elliekelly 8y ago
  Many modern anthropologists now believe that to be a myth attributable to, wait for it... implicit gender bias among male scientists in the early 1900's. You should check out the book "The Invisible Sex: Uncovering the True Roles of Women in Prehistory" it's a very interesting read.
- noelsusman 8y ago
  Civilization built up a lot of things over 10,000 years that aren't very good.
kevincrane 8y ago
Then why don't men leave their fields in the same numbers as women after they have a kid?
- jhwang5 8y ago
  At least in Asia, there's pressure for men to be providers (and they get socially disrespected if they can't). Not sure about the U.S. though.
- tomp 8y ago
  One explanation would be, that men (on average) favor abstract subjects (STEM), and women (on average) favor social interaction (children). (See e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_differences_in_psychology#Psychological_traits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_differences_in_psychology#... - Childhood play, Intelligence, Personality traits, Empathy)
  - kevincrane 8y ago
    Seems like those who already had full-time STEM jobs would favor them pretty hard, yet they still leave at nearly at twice the rate as their male counterparts.
- plainOldText 8y ago
  There could be many reasons: Perhaps because mothers are more nurturing and have a more intense desire to take care of their newborn children, after all they shared the same body for 9 months. Another could be the hormonal changes postpartum, which might trigger emotional and physical changes, etc. Childbearing is no small feat.
- ancorevard 8y ago
  One point to consider that relates to the first year at least is breastfeeding. Science very heavily favors breastfeeding above the substitute. While pumping breast milk is a choice, it can be difficult in practice and some science points to it still being different for both the mother and the child in terms of hormonal differences and of course the physican touch/emotional wellbeing.
- noelsusman 8y ago
  Because there is no social expectation for men to do so.
- belorn 8y ago
  How do society treat men who leave? How do society treat men who stay? How do society treat women who leave? How do society treat men who stay? Society in this case mean social status, divorce rates, size of social networks, number of children, and other measurable factors. Answer all four and we likely have a clear answer why men don't leave at the same rate as women after they have a child.

It's also a net gain averaged out over time if the couple produces more than 2 children. It's a very rare person that can individually contribute more to their society than 3 or more well-raised new individuals. Obviously this is a decision for couples to make for themselves, not for bureaucrats, economists, or activists to make for them.

commandlinefan 8y ago

... which is why civilization built up a particular way over the course of 10,000 years ...

elliekelly 8y ago
Many modern anthropologists now believe that to be a myth attributable to, wait for it... implicit gender bias among male scientists in the early 1900's. You should check out the book "The Invisible Sex: Uncovering the True Roles of Women in Prehistory" it's a very interesting read.
noelsusman 8y ago
Civilization built up a lot of things over 10,000 years that aren't very good.

kevincrane 8y ago

Then why don't men leave their fields in the same numbers as women after they have a kid?

jhwang5 8y ago
At least in Asia, there's pressure for men to be providers (and they get socially disrespected if they can't). Not sure about the U.S. though.
tomp 8y ago
One explanation would be, that men (on average) favor abstract subjects (STEM), and women (on average) favor social interaction (children). (See e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_differences_in_psychology#Psychological_traits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_differences_in_psychology#... - Childhood play, Intelligence, Personality traits, Empathy)
- kevincrane 8y ago
  Seems like those who already had full-time STEM jobs would favor them pretty hard, yet they still leave at nearly at twice the rate as their male counterparts.
plainOldText 8y ago
There could be many reasons: Perhaps because mothers are more nurturing and have a more intense desire to take care of their newborn children, after all they shared the same body for 9 months. Another could be the hormonal changes postpartum, which might trigger emotional and physical changes, etc. Childbearing is no small feat.
ancorevard 8y ago
One point to consider that relates to the first year at least is breastfeeding. Science very heavily favors breastfeeding above the substitute. While pumping breast milk is a choice, it can be difficult in practice and some science points to it still being different for both the mother and the child in terms of hormonal differences and of course the physican touch/emotional wellbeing.
noelsusman 8y ago
Because there is no social expectation for men to do so.
belorn 8y ago
How do society treat men who leave? How do society treat men who stay? How do society treat women who leave? How do society treat men who stay? Society in this case mean social status, divorce rates, size of social networks, number of children, and other measurable factors. Answer all four and we likely have a clear answer why men don't leave at the same rate as women after they have a child.