Irish birth rate continues to fall

klaaaz

A couple on 150k are indeed wealthy, their problem is their expenses. They chose to live in high priced Foxrock than in Tallaght down the road.

jon1981

klaaaz wrote: »

A couple on 150k are indeed wealthy, their problem is their expenses. They chose to live in high priced Foxrock than in Tallaght down the road.

Deluded. If you think that income will get you a mortgage in Foxrock. There also isn't a 5 series parked outside with a set of clubs in the boot.

Back on topic, remember I'm highlighting impediments to raising many children. Ireland needs workers and tax payers but also children to replenish the workforce of the future...the current tax payers need suppport to raise future tax payers.

klaaaz

jon1981 wrote: »

Deluded. If you think that income will get you a mortgage in Foxrock.

Nonsense, thing is the couple won't save first before getting that half a million property in Foxrock. They want to borrow to the max now and then moan that they cannot afford kids. If they bought down the road in Tallaght, they would have a far better disposable income and afford as many kids as they like.

Debtocracy

The consensus argument is that people are having less children because they can’t afford them. But if you examine the evidence across societies, the opposite appears to be the case – when the economy is accelerating and earnings increase, fertility decreases.

So why do people have more children with less and less children with more? One possibility is that when the economy is still expanding, people are optimistic and motivated to advance their careers. Having children just looks like a barrier to this. If a recession hits and there’s less opportunities for career advancement, having a child is no longer a major opportunity cost.

Another idea is that as people get wealthier, they become more materialistic and family values decrease. Status anxiety increases as people try to keep up with their neighbours. This narcissistic mindset tends not to value the self-sacrificing nature of having children.

In the long-term, the birth rate will continue to fall in Western societies. Culturally the drive towards wealth acquisition and advancing one’s career has become far more important than having children. American materialistic culture is creeping into Irish society whereby most of the population believe they’ll be in the top 1% one day. Kids just get in the way of the American dream.

jon1981

Debtocracy wrote: »

American materialistic culture is creeping into Irish society whereby most of the population believe they’ll be in the top 1% one day. Kids just get in the way of the American dream.

America doesn't help itself with its anti children policies.


The only federal law guaranteeing maternity leave in the U.S. is unpaid — and it only applies to some employees. The law that most women rely on is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which will protect your job for up to 12 weeks after childbirth or adoption

lawred2

Greyfox wrote: »

Nonsense, a couple on 150k can be considered wealthy. It's just that they have made the choice you use this wealth on a mortgage and kids, if they decided to not have kids and to not drive they'd be well off

Hardly an unusual set of choices is it?

mvl

Debtocracy wrote: »

Another idea is that as people get wealthier, they become more materialistic and family values decrease. Status anxiety increases as people try to keep up with their neighbours. This narcissistic mindset tends not to value the self-sacrificing nature of having children.
.

I like the mention of family values decline.
- in a way it reminds me how ppl don't have home cooked meals anymore, they rather get takeaway, or dine out.

For the example of the couple on 150k - if they can't afford 3 kids today, I also think their priorities must be the only reason for that (as modern workplaces do offer flextime, and age between siblings can be planned so that creche is not a burden).

But would love to hear an anthropologist view.