Famine

[iwbus]

We see all these pictures of how children and babies are starving across the world so why do these people still keep having kids? If I was worried about feeding myself the last thing I'd do is start "relations" with the missus. As I saw on one T-shirt "If you can't feed then don't breed"

[acw]

The problem, as I understand it, is one of ill-education and poor access to contraception.  A lot of them simply don't know or understand how it all works and the women fall pregnant more often as a result.  Moreover, it is possible that in the cultures of these lands, the husbands decide whether he and his wfie will have physical relations or not - and she has no say.  If the men don't understand the consequences, then it's just going to continue.  Don't forget it only became possible for a man to rape his wife in the 1960s in the UK, and the legal rights of those in poverty are probably at zero. 

Ditto with how AIDS and STDs are getting spread over there - no knowledge and no condoms. 

It's a real tragedy. 

[bernardo]

Famine, flood, drought and starvation are occasional and transitory phenomena.  When Mr & Mrs Niger have a baby, they do not know that there is going to be a desperate situation like a famine a year or six months later.  They need a good stock of children to continue to work the land and provide for them in their old age.  Most of the people in Africa (or Asia or wherever) manage to survive most of the time, albeit in a state of poverty.  Also, there is very little access to, or even proper knowledge about, contraception in many places.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Evolution is pretty smart. The biological imperative is to pass on one's genes. In famine situations, the body responds to nutritional deficiency by increasing fecundity, therefore pregnancy is more likely to result from any given successful copulation.

An off shoot of this is that many children die. By having many children, there is a greater chance that some will survive.

Since the Catholic church keeps up its stance on contraception despite the obvious health improvements that would result if they were to change it,, and since in many areas contraception is seen as 'unmanly' there is already a far greater chance of pregnancies resulting from intercourse. Plus, of course, culturally, many children is considered a good thing.

Don't forget, by the time you get to see the pics of starving Africans, they're probably not having sex any more; when they were, they probably weren't literally starving to death.

[Dom Tuk]

Aside from the above correct answers, children are also a necessity in such cultures/lifestyles. The little land that teh farmer has will be tilled and seeded and harvested by the family and children will help in these farms. It is not child labour but reality. When very yopung the children will help with foraging for animal fodder, woodfires and fetching water. Hence children are needed and hence the breeding.

[LeMarchand]

Is it any different in this country? Folks might not be literally starving, but they breed away in the knowledge that the taxpayer will provide for their children.

[acw]

But in the Niger, the kids at the moment are dying at an alarming rate.  I don't think they get benefits over there. 

I would like to echo the comments about Catholicism.  I had totally forgotten that that was the predominant religion over there. 

Also iwbus, as a slightly more trite comment, these people have a really stressful time during famine and are going through hell just trying to survive.  They say the best things in life are free and I don't see why they should deny themselves what few pleasures they can easily have.  It's just such a sad thing that the consequences are something they maybe can't deal with. 

Ome point, in sort of support of iwbus, that I don't think has been made, is the danger for the women of being pregnant in famine time.  If they can't get clean water and enough food for themselves, trying to grow another life inside her is a big risk.  Moreover, the dangers of pregnancy must be higher over there as their medical care isn't as advanced as ours. 

I suspect it's a combination of religion, the cycles of the weather, the need for children to do the work, a lack of education, and lack of contraception even where it is wanted. 

[LeMarchand]

acw, I think you missed the point of my post (unless I missed the point of yours!). I know they don't get benefits! However, iwbus's question read to me as if s/he was implying that it's only in poverty/famine/drought-stricken countries that people who can't support children keep breeding.

[acw]

I did miss your point entirely.  :-) I didn't realise that was how you'd read iwbus's Q.  Of course I know you know they don't get benefits, you know! :-p

I just think that the reasons behind the breeding are very different in the two regions.  Here, as you said, certain people in a less well off position may continue to have children because they like having kids and they know they will get benefits to support the,.  Of course they might be Catholic too.  Or ill-educated.  (Note these are clearly two separate points in my post and I am not judging Catholics or Catholicism).  Whereas, as you know, people in the Niger etc are still having kids for other reasons. 

Anyway - it's clear that neither of us is thick LeMarchand, and I think we're agreed really.  So I'll stop my waffling and get back to trying to write my thesis without typing out Henry Blowfeld (sp) 's commentary into the middle of it by mistake! teehee!

[Alan2]

Forget about the food, lets send them a consignment of blow up dolls

[stevie21]

Is the main reason for having a few kids to tend the farm then?
That'd make sense as you don't pay a worker money that you can ill afford.
However, it implies that every African is a farmer.
Also, even with the worst education, it doesn't take much to figure out that sex leads to pregnancy and STDs.

As mentioned, there's a combination of lots of factors here (Catholocism forbidding contraception, or it not being available anyway) and if there was a quick and easy solution then the problem wouldn't exist in the first place.

[alli mac]

Oh at last someones says what i think, the only way to stop this is to stop them having children, they have no energy to get up on their feet yet they can breed one after the other, send the pill over anything to stop this poverty. I know over here they have kids one after the other but it is not a danger like over there, and there is money and food here. I really dont understand if they know they have aids why they go through this and bring more poverty to the country, i think we can go on helping them year after year but its never gonna stop until they do something about it.

[stevie21]

alli mac, when you grow up I hope you're thoroughly ashamed of attitudes such as that one.

Do you honestly think that anyone in Arfica brings AIDS, poverty, famine and all the suffering that goes with it on themselves so glibly?

[puzzlemad1]

its todays media that bring it to our breakfast tables

.with all the latest technology we cannot not escape from it you would have to live on a desert island .with out electricity etc. okay