Small Is Nice but Big Is Beautiful

Ett inlägg från bloggen: Anders Lundblad

In the day-to-day struggle to make ends meet, the hassle of raising a big family may not seem worthwhile. The economic costs, the endless worries and the ever-growing pile of laundry are all too tangible results of our unfortunate instinct to procreate. But although humans may regret many things during the course of life, having children tend not to be one of them. At the baby's first smile, the teenager's rare hug and the father's proud walk down the aisle, all sorrows are forgotten, or so it seems. In fact, the disadvantages of having a small family outweighs the advantages, regardless of the small size being universally heralded as a mark of progress and a necessary key to success in our modern world.
Of course family size and domestic economy go hand in hand. According to the demographic transitional model lower birth rates are the secret behind the unprecedented growth in living standards the world has seen in recent years. In small families, parents are free to allocate more resources per child. As parents invest more money in the health, education and social status of their children, their chances of success in a competitive environment increase. Small families are, in short, financially better off. But even though this is true from an economic perspective, it does not hold up when other factors are taken into account. First, the small household dines around a quiet table. In spite of its economic edge the small family is less equipped to provide children with good social skills. With only its parents to relate to the only child misses out on vital social training. The big family, on the other hand, provides its members with ample opportunities to both cooperate and compete, as well as argue and agree. Lively debates around the dinner table between brothers and sisters, parents and children, are the perfect preparation for a future in the postmodern marketplace of ideas. Likewise, the big family's multi-relational character promotes a level playing field wi ... Läs mer...

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