6 ms·

Why? There are diminishing returns on industrialising.

bumby 4y ago
Not just that, but in cold economic terms there are diminishing on having large families in industrialized societies. A large broad is an asset in agrarian societies but largely a liability in an industrialized one.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  A large family is an asset in industrialized societies too, but in the long run. For example, having lots of siblings can help you later on for networking or being able to go someone to depend on, assuming a decent number of them obtain useful positions in society. But in the short term, it is a lot of sacrifice, especially for the woman who has to give birth and raise all those babies. And of course, it is a lot of work to instill values such that the family stays close, and luck such as being located in a location that is experiencing an economic boom.
  - bumby 4y ago
    >having lots of siblings can help you later on True, but that’s not a benefit to the people making the decision to have more children. It’s a beneficial second order effect that won’t negate the cost to the parent.
    - t-3 4y ago
      It's a benefit for agricultural households. 10+ kids are common in my family tree until the latest few generations for that reason.
      - bumby 4y ago
        That was the point I was drawing in the comparison between agrarian and industrialized societies.
qwytw 4y ago
The demographic transition in France began earlier than in other industrial economies. I'm not even sure industrialization has much to do with it. The fertility rate in Britain was still higher in the 1880s than it was in France back in 1800. Economically Britain was 20-50 years ahead of France but demographically France was almost a hundred years ahead. e.g. see https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033137/fertility-rate-france-1800-2020 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033137/fertility-rate-f... and https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033074/fertility-rate-uk-1800-2020 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033074/fertility-rate-u...

Not just that, but in cold economic terms there are diminishing on having large families in industrialized societies. A large broad is an asset in agrarian societies but largely a liability in an industrialized one.

lotsofpulp 4y ago
A large family is an asset in industrialized societies too, but in the long run. For example, having lots of siblings can help you later on for networking or being able to go someone to depend on, assuming a decent number of them obtain useful positions in society. But in the short term, it is a lot of sacrifice, especially for the woman who has to give birth and raise all those babies. And of course, it is a lot of work to instill values such that the family stays close, and luck such as being located in a location that is experiencing an economic boom.
- bumby 4y ago
  >having lots of siblings can help you later on True, but that’s not a benefit to the people making the decision to have more children. It’s a beneficial second order effect that won’t negate the cost to the parent.
  - t-3 4y ago
    It's a benefit for agricultural households. 10+ kids are common in my family tree until the latest few generations for that reason.
    - bumby 4y ago
      That was the point I was drawing in the comparison between agrarian and industrialized societies.

qwytw 4y ago

The demographic transition in France began earlier than in other industrial economies. I'm not even sure industrialization has much to do with it. The fertility rate in Britain was still higher in the 1880s than it was in France back in 1800. Economically Britain was 20-50 years ahead of France but demographically France was almost a hundred years ahead. e.g. see https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033137/fertility-rate-france-1800-2020 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033137/fertility-rate-f... and https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033074/fertility-rate-uk-1800-2020 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033074/fertility-rate-u...