Depending on the cultural values you grew up around, you may be used to being around big families, with a couple having many children, who themselves go on to have many children. Even if this is true for you, there are changes in child-bearing that are of great interest to sociologists.
Have you ever wondered why people are choosing to have fewer children, or no children at all nowadays?
This explanation may help answer this question!
- Firstly, we will look at child-bearing and how patterns in child-bearing have changed in recent years.
- Next, we will look at the main reasons behind the decrease in child-bearing in the West.
Let's get started.
Child-bearing: definition
The definition of child-bearing is simply to have children. This includes being able to carry, grow and give birth to a child or children. If a woman can have children, she is considered to be child-bearing.
The decision to have children is influenced by many social, economic, and personal factors. Couples usually decide together to have children, but it is the woman who goes through pregnancy and gives birth.
There are growing numbers of single mothers, and changes in social situations and the roles of women have influenced child-bearing rates.
Changes in child-bearing patterns
Let's look at some changes in child-bearing patterns, mainly through statistics.
According to ONS statistics for 2020, there were 613,936 live births in England and Wales, which is the lowest recorded number since 2002 and a drop of 4.1 per cent compared to 2019.
The total fertility rate also reached a record low; in 2020 it was 1.58 children per woman. Although COVID-19 affected this rate in 2020, there is a decrease in child-bearing in the UK and in many Western countries (ons.gov.uk).
Child-bearing and child-rearing
We'll now be looking at factors affecting child-bearing and child-rearing - specifically, how and why they have declined over the years.
There are many factors that have led to the decline in child-bearing and child-rearing. Let us examine a few.
Gender roles in the family in sociology
One of the main reasons for the decline in child-bearing is due to changes in gender roles in the family.
Women want to focus more on their careers first, so they delay childbearing.
Large families with numerous children are no longer the norm. To balance a career and family, many couples decide to have fewer children or none.
Fig. 1 - In recent times, women perform more roles outside of motherhood.
However, there are many other reasons for the decline in child-bearing, which we will consider below.
Secularisation
The declining influence of traditional religious organisations means religious morality may not be prioritised by individuals.
The declining stigma around sex has changed its perception; procreation is no longer the only purpose of sex.
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