Yawning Bread, 24 Aug 2008"However, we shouldn't kid ourselves. All these measures represent the throwing of money at what is really a deep socio-psychological and socio-structural problem. The decline in fertility rate will only be seriously reversed when people want children. That won't happen because of economic incentives, though these may counter the social and economic disincentives of having children, but only when it is seen as cool to have children in tow everywhere we go -– to house parties, to the supermarket, to work."
"Even worse would be to think that the levers that worked in the 1970s to get women to have fewer children, might work today to get them to have more. Some things are not symmetrical. Penalties can get people to stop doing something, but inducements do not work as well in getting people to do something for you. As the saying goes: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."
Read More
