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kids to share misery with Don't know any better
Debate Score:3
Arguments:2
Total Votes:3
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 kids to share misery with (1)
 
 Don't know any better (1)

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If it's so bad in these countries why do they breed like rabbits?

kids to share misery with

Side Score: 1
VS.

Don't know any better

Side Score: 2
1 point

Their women are just so hot.................................................

Uh, why didn't you breed?

Side: kids to share misery with
2 points

Neither choice is the actual reason, but this one is close enough to work with.

There are several reasons, many of which interrelate, and none of which applies to all societies.

- 1 - Parents have kids to care for them in their old age. In most societies that have no pension or government retirement systems (or he equivalent), security and support for old age is only available by having children, primarily sons.

These places also tend to have uncertain economies, poor sanitation infrastructure, difficulty in accessing adequate medical care, and often violent political upheaval in addition to disease and parasite rich environments. All of these factors raise the infant mortality rate and lower the average life expectancy, particularly of men.

If you want at least one son to live long enough to be able to care for you in your old age, you pretty much need to give birth to at least three, which raises the average number of kids you need to about six (accounting for daughters).

- 2 - Wealth is measured in family size, not just economic status. Many cultures, for example Arabic and Hispanic cultures place a high value on having a large family. Even in the US, given the choice between many kids (which are expensive to support) and no way to afford to send even one to college, or one or two children they could afford to send to college (and thereby improve the family's earning power and wealth), many parents choose the economic difficulties and limitations of a big family.

In many cultures that have sharp sex-based divisions of labor, a woman's status, social value, and self-esteem is completely tied to caring for and raising children. Generally in these societies, the man's value is in providing for his family's economic and safety needs. This anchor's the gender roles and self esteem to reproduction.

- 3 - Religious beliefs about procreation often prohibit use of birth control. Here, the Roman Catholic Church has a big effect on population, both in Latin America and in Africa.

- 4 - Many of these countries have poor education about and access to birth control. This is often about poverty and difficulty in accessing information and education about science, including how birth control methods work. .Most methods only work when used properly and consistently.

Some of the problem is that sometimes (especially in rural and undeveloped areas) superstitions and religious/magical beliefs & methods are favored over information brought by Westerners and other outsiders.

It is often about inadequate infrastructure, including health care delivery, including the availability of IUDs, birth control pills, condoms, etc..

- 5 - Like in the developed world, condoms are not popular because the decrease sexual pleasure, so many people refuse to use them. This is compounded by the traditional values (reasons 1, 2, & 3) regarding birth control.

Side: Don't know any better