Population growth is an interesting topic to study because it interweaves so many different aspects of our lives from economics, to global climate change, to consumption, and beyond. But, in studying population growth and in particular fertility, it seems important to study the role of women closely. In the past, individuals have been concerned that the global population is growing at a rate, which the world can not handle. But, after reading the articles “The Gender gap, Fertility, and Growth” and “An Economists Perspective”, one is confronted with a different opinion. In both articles, it is made clear that the current changes in the female lifestyle are reducing fertility rates.
According to Galor, in families with high human capital, human capitol being education and the likes, it has become apparent that these families have decreased fertility rates. In a family of this nature, it is likely that increased human capitol has lead to increased wealth. For these families, it is more advantages to have fewer children and as a result to provide each child with a better quality of life (Galor 1996, p. 374).
Now, the story presented above is very simplified and it does not account for the role of the woman (beyond the obvious physical aspects) in decreased fertility rates. The role of the woman in the family has changed significantly over time. Today, a woman makes higher wages in a developed country than in the past. This is because more women are educated and in turn are entering the work force. Also, in these developed countries, there is less need for physical labor and more demand for brains, which a woman can provide. They have a comparative advantage over men, thus the increase in their wages (Galor 1996, p. 375). With increased wages, women tend to spend less time at home and therefore choose to have fewer children.
This line of thought, presented by Galor, is consistent with Macunovich yet a little bit different. In the piece by Macunovich, she not only considers the changing roles of females, but also acknowledges the pressures on the young male in the work place. Macunovich believes that the young male has competition in the work force as well as high expectations and because of that he is choosing to marry later, have fewer children, and require his spouse to marry among other things (Macunovich, p. 53). These reasons add to the story Galor told about declining fertility rates.
Macunovich also talks about the reasons behind why the female population has chosen to have fewer children. In her article, she presents a more humanistic approach to fertility decline, rather than the graphical approach taken by Galor. Macunovich attributes declining fertility rates to the woman’s desire to attain the same status as males, expectations, and forethought for the future (Macunovich, p. 53).
Overall, one is left with the general concept that there is a negative relationship between low fertility rates and an increase in income. There are many reasons that this relationship exists. But, it is important to understand that there is not just one reason for declining fertility rates. There are many social as well as economic factors at work, which have aided in the current trend.