I read an article a long time ago that was a series of interviews with poorer women who had multiple kids asking the same question. The answer surprised and stu

I read an article a long time ago that was a series of interviews with poorer women who had multiple kids asking the same question. The answer surprised and stuck with me. The women had children they could not afford because it gave them status (a role to play in society) and meaning. They were Moms, and Moms had a degree of respect in their communities that single childless women did not have. Also - their children loved them, and with their children they were not alone and unloved. In an economic scenario where their prospects were unlikely to change having children provided them with love and status / a role in society.