Childbearing in Canada Today

The Canadian social system has undergone significant social changes in the past 50 years -changes in social norms regarding conception, sex roles and equality of women – decline in fertility rates Falling marriage rates, rates of cohabitation increased Changing Social System

- Divorce rates are stable, but high -people are postponing getting married and having babies Wide use of contraception has made ‘planning’ of when to have, or, not to have children more widely accepted

Couples can now choose when and if to have children Children no longer valued economically, but rather for the emotional fulfillment of the parents Children have become the ‘completion’ of the married couples’ relationship The New Attitudes?

Couples are looking to receive something back from their children in exchange for the time, money and energy they put into raising them Parents are looking for emotional fulfillment and love from the child in exchange for the caregiving they provide Social Exchange Theory Explanation

1. Women and the workforce – women are continuing to work after marriage and even after having children some as an economic necessity, others because of their desire to pursue their careers as well Women and the Workforce

1. A major shift is that of sterilization of one of the individuals after the desired number of children have been reached 2. Contraception – parents can control and time the spacing of children, if desired 3. Contraception has also lead to a reduction in the number of unwanted pregnancies Advances in Medical Science

4. Advances in Reproductive Technology - many alternatives for couples who can not have their own ‘biological’ children – artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy etc 5. Better Prenatal care – babies are being born healthier (see chart on pg. 278). Canada’s infant mortality rate is declining 6. Genetic testing

Because of society’s increasing distrust of marriage, and the fear of divorce, couples are carefully considering the addition of children Many couples do not have the good ‘role models’ of their own families Divorce

Is society in general supportive of children and families? According to Benjamin and Rachel Schlesinger – society should do more to support parents – does Canadian society really value children, if their parents are not supported more financially? Lack of Support for Parents

Bible states that God created humans in His image, male and female, and told them to “increase and multiply”, to fill and subdue the earth.” The Bible also recognizes our sexual desires and need to have children – is it more than ‘instinct ’, such as the ‘evolutionary’ point of view suggests? Is there a created ‘order’ of the timing of when these things should happen? Biblical Mandate

Page 300 #1,3 and 5 Homework