Unraveling the motivations propelling the 'pro-natalist' crusade aimed at augmenting birth rates.
Have more babies or civilization dies. That's the rallying cry of the resurgent pronatalism movement, which has managed to gain traction in the mainstream following policies such as Trump's attempts to increase birth rates with a $5,000 baby bonus and a national medal of motherhood for mothers who have six or more children. Pronatalists warn of a doomsday scenario - if birth rates continue to decline in the U.S., we might be heading towards economic collapse or even extinction. They're pushing ideas like genetic engineering, limiting access to contraceptives, and the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which asserts that there is a plot to replace white populations with nonwhite immigrants.
Elon Musk, with his reported 14 children from various women, is one of the more well-known faces of the movement. However, critics argue that this movement isn't just about increasing birth rates. It's about who gets to reproduce, under what terms, and at what cost? They argue that this movement ignores the soaring price of childcare in the U.S., our broken parental leave systems, and a woman's autonomy over her own body.
Today, we're joined by two experts whose work explores this movement and its motivations. Dr. Karen Guzzo, sociologist and fertility expert, is serving as the director of the Carolina Population Center and a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lisa Hagen is a reporter for NPR, who has been covering the pronatalist movement, and attended last month's Natal Con conference in Austin.
Let's dive into Lisa's report from the Natal Con conference, where the overarching message was clear - culture needs to change, and specifically, mainstream culture has devalued motherhood. You'll hear conversations on everything from increasing the Child Tax Credit to banning pornography and limiting access to technology for young people. But here are some key takeaways:
- There were about 200 attendees at the conference, 95% of whom were men, and a predominantly white crowd.
- Some policy ideas discussed included parental voting (where parents would vote on behalf of their minor children), increasing the Child Tax Credit, getting rid of no-fault divorce, and limiting access to reproductive healthcare options like abortion and contraception.
- There was a sense of fear around the urban monoculture, a term coined by notable pronatalist Malcolm Collins, which he defines as the spread of liberal, woke culture, akin to cultural genocide. He believes this culture only survives by "parasitizing" children from other more traditional, rural communities.
Tonya Mosley: Let's take a short break. When we come back, Dr. Guzzo will discuss the validity of the problem that the pronatalist movement is trying to address and the role of immigration in offsetting the birth decline in the U.S. This is FRESH AIR.
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- Pronatalism, a movement encouraging higher birth rates, has gained prominence through policies such as Trump's $5,000 baby bonus and the national medal of motherhood.
- Pronatalists present a doomsday scenario, suggesting that declining birth rates could lead to economic collapse or even extinction in the U.S.
- The movement is criticized for focusing more on who should reproduce, under what terms, and at what cost, rather than addressing underlying issues like the high price of childcare and lackluster parental leave systems.
- Elon Musk, with his 14 children, is recognized as a prominent face of the pronatalist movement.
- Critics argue that the movement's focus on birth rates ignores fundamental concerns, such as a woman's autonomy over her body.
- At the recent Natal Con conference, attendees discussed strategies to change cultural norms, with suggestions ranging from increasing the Child Tax Credit to banning pornography and limiting access to technology for young people.
- The conference attracted around 200 attendees, with 95% being men and a predominantly white crowd.
- Some notable policy proposals presented at the conference included parental voting, increasing the Child Tax Credit, eliminating no-fault divorce, and limiting access to reproductive healthcare options like abortion and contraception.
- Malcolm Collins, a notable pronatalist, uses the term "urban monoculture" to describe the spread of liberal, woke culture, which he believes is harmful and only survives by exploiting children from more traditional, rural communities.
- After the conference, Dr. Karen Guzzo will discuss the validity of the problem the pronatalist movement is trying to address, as well as the role of immigration in offsetting birth declines in the U.S.
- The economics sector, policy and legislation, general news, health and wellness, medical-conditions, chronic diseases, neurological disorders, war, and conflicts, migration, and accidents are all interconnected issues that fell under the purview of discussions at the Natal Con conference.
- It's important to acknowledge that car accidents, fires, and other unfortunate events could be exacerbated by a combination of factors, such as population decline, economic instability, and inadequate government resources.
- In the context of the debate, it's essential to balance the need to take decisive action sooner rather than later to address population decline, with the need to leverage solutions that prioritize education, community development, technology, science, and a holistic approach to health and wellness, ensuring a balanced and sustainable future for all.
