Natalism (also called pronatalism or the pro-birth position) is an ideology that promotes the reproduction of human life as an important objective of being human and advocates high birthrate.[1] According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term, as it relates to the belief itself, dates from 1971 and comes from French: nataliste, formed from French: natalité, birthrate.[2]

Natalism promotes child-bearing and parenthood as desirable for social reasons and to ensure the continuance of humanity. Natalism in public policy typically seeks to create financial and social incentives for populations to reproduce, such as providing tax incentives that reward having and supporting children. Those who adhere to more strict interpretations of natalism may seek to limit access to abortion and contraception, as well. The opposite of natalism is antinatalism.

Motives

Religion

Many religions encourage procreation, and religiousness in members can sometimes correlate to higher rates of fertility.[3] Judaism,[4] Islam, and major branches of Christianity, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[5] and the Catholic Church[6][7][8][9] encourage procreation. In 1979 one research paper indicated that Amish people had an average of 6.8 children per family.[10] Among some conservative Protestants, the Quiverfull movement advocates for large families and views children as blessings from God.[11][12][13]

Intention to have children

An intention to have children is a substantial fertility factor in actually ending up doing so, but childless individuals who intend to have children immediately or within two or three years are generally more likely to succeed than those who intend to have children in the long term.[14] There are many determinants of the intention to have children, including:

  • the preference of family size, which influences that of the children through early adulthood.[15] Likewise, the extended family influences fertility intentions, with increased numbers of nephews and nieces increasing the preferred number of children.[14]
  • social pressure from kin and friends to have another child.[14]
  • social support. However, a study from West Germany came to the result that both men receiving no support at all and men receiving support from many different people have a lower probability of intending to have another child, with the latter probably related to coordination problems.[14]
  • happiness, with happier people tending to want more children.[14]
  • secure housing situation.[16]

Natalistic politics

2017 election poster by Alternative for Germany. "New Germans? – We make them by ourselves." It contrasts immigration and natalism.
Parking place for families with children, residential area. Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland

According to the UN, the share of countries with pronatalist policies had grown from 20% in 2005 to 28% in 2019.[17]

Some countries with population decline offer incentives to the people to have large families as a means of national efforts to reverse declining populations. Incentives may include a one-time baby bonus, or ongoing child benefit payments or tax reductions. Some impose penalties or taxes on those with fewer children. Some nations, such as Japan, Singapore,[18] South Korea,[19] and Taiwan, have implemented, or tried to implement, interventionist natalist policies, creating incentives for larger families among native stock. Immigrants are generally not part of natalist policies.

Paid maternity and paternity leave policies can also be used as an incentive. For example, Sweden has generous parental leave wherein parents are entitled to share 16 months' paid leave per child, the cost divided between both employer and state.

Books advocating natalist policies include What to Expect When No One's Expecting by Jonathan V. Last.[20]

Russia

Natalist thinking was common during the Soviet times. After a brief adherence to the strict Communist doctrine in 1920s and attempts to raise children communally, coupled with the government-provided healthcare, the Soviet government switched to neo-traditionalism, promoting family values and sobriety, banning abortions and making divorces harder to obtain, advancing natalist ideals that made mockery of irresponsible parents. The expanded opportunities for female employment caused a population crisis in 1930s, government had expanded access to child care starting at age of two.[21] After the Great Patriotic war the skewed ratio of men to women prompted additional financial assistance to women that had children or were pregnant. Despite the promotion and long maternity leave with maintenance of the employment and salary modernization still caused the birthrates to continue to unfortunately slide into the 1970's.[22]

The end of USSR in 1991 was accompanied by a large drop in fertility.[22] In 2006, Vladimir Putin made the demographics an important issue,[23] instituting a two-prong approach of direct financial rewards and socio-cultural policies. The notable example of the former is the maternal-capital program where the woman is provided with subsidies that can be spent only on improved housing or the education of a child (and can also be saved for the retirement). [24]

Hungary

The Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán in 2019 announced pecuniary incentives (including eliminating taxes for mothers with more than three children, and reducing credit payments and easier access to loans), and expanding day care and kindergarten access.[25]

See also

Look up natalism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ↑ Compare: McKeown, John (2014). "1: Natalism: A Popular Use of the Bible". God's Babies: Natalism and Bible Interpretation in Modern America. Cambridge: Open Books. p. 2. ISBN 9781783740529. Retrieved 2018-12-08. Natalism is an ideology that advocates a high birth rate within a community.[...] The central message is that parents should have additional children.
  2. ↑ "natalism". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
  3. ↑ "Do Muslims Have More Children Than Other Women in Western Europe? – Population Reference Bureau". Retrieved 2023-12-12. Women who report firm adherence to their religious beliefs and practices tend to have higher fertility than less religious women, whether Christian or Muslim. But religiousness does not always mean higher fertility. [...] The study confirms the perception that Muslim women have more children than non-Muslims in Western Europe, but shows that the gap is not as large as many believe. And, similar to other immigrants in other countries, Muslim fertility rates tend to fall over time, narrowing the gap with the non-Muslims who make up the vast majority of the European population now, and for the foreseeable future.
  4. ↑ "Mishnah Yevamot 6;6". Sefaria. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  5. ↑ First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles (September 23, 1995), "Gospel Topics – The Family: A Proclamation to the World", LDS.org, LDS Church, retrieved 2013-12-11. See also: The Family: A Proclamation to the World
  6. ↑ Pope Paul VI (1968-07-25). "Humanae Vitae: Encyclical on the Regulation of Birth". Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  7. ↑ Pope Pius XI (1930-12-31). "Casti Connubii: Encyclical on Christian Marriage". Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  8. ↑ Pope John Paul II (1981-11-22). "Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio: On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World". Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  9. ↑ Greguš, Jan (2019-12-20). "Catholicism and contraception". Česká Gynekologie. 84 (6): 468–474 – via Nakladatelské středisko ČLS JEP.
  10. ↑ Ericksen, Julia A.; Ericksen, Eugene P.; Hostetler, John A.; Huntington, Gertrude E (July 1979). "Fertility Patterns and Trends among the Old Order Amish". Population Studies. 33 (2): 255–76. doi:10.2307/2173531. ISSN 0032-4728. JSTOR 2173531. OCLC 39648293. PMID 11630609.
  11. ↑ Hess, Rick and Jan (1990). A Full Quiver: Family Planning and the Lordship of Christ. Brentwood, TN: Hyatt Publishers. ISBN 0-943497-83-3.
  12. ↑ Dennis Rainey (2002). "The Value of Children (11 July 2002 FamilyLife Today Radio Broadcast)". FamilyLife Today. Archived from the original (Transcript of radio broadcast) on October 1, 2005. Retrieved 2006-09-30.
  13. ↑ Campbell, Nancy (2003). Be Fruitful and Multiply: What the Bible Says about Having Children. San Antonio: Vision Forum. ISBN 0-9724173-5-4.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Nicoletta Balbo; Francesco C. Billari; Melinda Mills (2013). "Fertility in Advanced Societies: A Review of Research". European Journal of Population. 29 (1): 1–38. doi:10.1007/s10680-012-9277-y. PMC 3576563. PMID 23440941.
  15. ↑ Axinn, William G.; Clarkberg, Marin E.; Thornton, Arland (1994). "Family Influences on Family Size Preferences". Demography. 31 (1): 65–79. doi:10.2307/2061908. ISSN 0070-3370. JSTOR 2061908. PMID 8005343.
  16. ↑ Vignoli, Daniele; Rinesi, Francesca; Mussino, Eleonora (2013). "A home to plan the first child? Fertility intentions and housing conditions in Italy" (PDF). Population, Space and Place. 19: 60–71. doi:10.1002/psp.1716.
  17. ↑ "The new economics of fertility". Economist: 65. September 17, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Pro-natalism: Breaking the baby strike". The Economist. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  19. ↑ Onishi, Norimitsu (21 August 2005). "South Korea, in Turnabout, Now Calls for More Babies". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  20. ↑ Cohen, Joel E. (April 24, 2014). "The Case for More Babies". The New York Review of Books.
  21. ↑ Kouprianova 2013, p. 152.
  22. 1 2 Kouprianova 2013, p. 153.
  23. ↑ Kouprianova 2013, p. 157.
  24. ↑ Kouprianova 2013, p. 158.
  25. ↑ Kingsley, Patrick (2019-02-11). "Orban Encourages Mothers in Hungary to Have 4 or More Babies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-13.

Sources

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