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> I think it's not mainly about money (why do Germany's academics have the fewest children?), but about creating a children-friendly climate and a culture where

by cyphunk 12y ago

> I think it's not mainly about money (why do Germany's academics have the fewest children?), but about creating a children-friendly climate and a culture where raising children is considered a good thing and not just a burden that keeps you from consuming. Children and modern consumer culture - bad fit. The cost to give birth is multiple times lower than somewhere like the US, the cost to raise again multiple times lower than the US, children are given much greater independence (freedom of movement and choice comes much earlier). Granted somewhere such as the US with an increasing rather than decreasing population, has little incentive to create a child-friendly climate. In Germany however this problem has made it very child friendly. Second, the comment on "consumption" is a critique that may apply to humanity as a whole but largely German is very low in the list of OECD countries when it comes to economies based on consumption.

thejdude 12y ago
While most of US population growth is AFAIK due to immigration, and traditional WASP families have a rather low growth these days, that used to be different, due to cultural differences. Germany has been low pop-growth for a long time now (also excluding some immigrants). Still, I think consumer culture is what's keeping growth low, in most industrialized countries these days. (I may be wrong.) I'm not sure how high or low Germany's consumption level is in absolute numbers, but I think it might look low because the country is producing/exporting so damn much.
- cyphunk 12y ago
  the idea of consumption as a stint to growth i could relate to from the perspective of: cultures more consumed with self give less reason for growth. From another perspective: in a society that worships the self child-bearing is a product of boredom or issues with self-confidence? But it just doesn't fit entirely.

by cyphunk 12y ago

thejdude 12y ago

While most of US population growth is AFAIK due to immigration, and traditional WASP families have a rather low growth these days, that used to be different, due to cultural differences. Germany has been low pop-growth for a long time now (also excluding some immigrants). Still, I think consumer culture is what's keeping growth low, in most industrialized countries these days. (I may be wrong.) I'm not sure how high or low Germany's consumption level is in absolute numbers, but I think it might look low because the country is producing/exporting so damn much.

cyphunk 12y ago
the idea of consumption as a stint to growth i could relate to from the perspective of: cultures more consumed with self give less reason for growth. From another perspective: in a society that worships the self child-bearing is a product of boredom or issues with self-confidence? But it just doesn't fit entirely.