The NY Times asks, is the current boomlet in fertility rates due to increased home ownership?
In the wide-open mortgage climate early this decade, creative loan products allowed more people than ever to buy homes, often a precursor to having children.
One factor, not mentioned in the article, could also be crucial. I read once that thin walls in apartment buildings were often a hindrance to couples having and enjoying sex. That problem goes away if you live in a house.
I’ve read that television is an excellent form of birth control– the Chinese government helped drop birth rates by ensuring that every village had a TV. Will access to 1,000 cable entertainment channels (and still nothing on) deter birth rates?
Also, I worry when I hear about U.S. birth rates increasing. The U.S. population is already growing– through immigration (which the article fails to mention in terms of maintaining population). And, Hispanic birth rates have always been higher (probably because of the constant influx of new, poorer immigrants).
When someone starts saying that increasing birth rates is a good idea, what they usually mean is that they want more WHITE babies– a sure sign of bigotry.