Comments on: Koreans Look to the French to Make More Babies http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/ Korea... in Blog Format Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:14:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Was the unkind cut in the 1980s to blame for Korea’s population decline? | The Marmot's Hole http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-247723 Was the unkind cut in the 1980s to blame for Korea’s population decline? | The Marmot's Hole Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:11:16 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-247723 [...] of us are aware that Korea is having a population problem.  Earlier this year, Wangkon blogged about the Korean government looking to the French for the secret of having more babies.  This was in response to an earlier posting that Marmot had [...] [...] of us are aware that Korea is having a population problem.  Earlier this year, Wangkon blogged about the Korean government looking to the French for the secret of having more babies.  This was in response to an earlier posting that Marmot had [...]

]]> By: WangKon936 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211279 WangKon936 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:20:46 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211279 DM, that's harsh. DM, that’s harsh.

]]> By: Dram_man http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211249 Dram_man Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:59:21 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211249 Nobody has yet to make a snarky comment about french babies and a freezer...oh wait...shoot. Nobody has yet to make a snarky comment about french babies and a freezer…oh wait…shoot.

]]> By: Sonagi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211115 Sonagi Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:09:09 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211115 <blockquote>The thing that did shock us is the number of smoking pregnant women. </blockquote> That is unfortunate. The French government taxes its citizens to pay for economic incentives to have children. Does the French government also pay for anti-smoking incentives? Smoking dads aren't good for fetal development, either, as the mom breathes in unfiltered second-hand smoke and passes the toxins to her unborn child. There is increasing evidence that prenatal exposure to cigarette toxins causes permanent damage, including a thicker endothelial lining to blood vessels, setting the stage for high blood pressure and atherosclerosis later. Now that more and more Korean women are smoking, I wonder how many will be able to kick the habit once they get pregnant?

The thing that did shock us is the number of smoking pregnant women.

That is unfortunate. The French government taxes its citizens to pay for economic incentives to have children. Does the French government also pay for anti-smoking incentives? Smoking dads aren’t good for fetal development, either, as the mom breathes in unfiltered second-hand smoke and passes the toxins to her unborn child. There is increasing evidence that prenatal exposure to cigarette toxins causes permanent damage, including a thicker endothelial lining to blood vessels, setting the stage for high blood pressure and atherosclerosis later. Now that more and more Korean women are smoking, I wonder how many will be able to kick the habit once they get pregnant?

]]> By: dda http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211101 dda Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:04:51 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211101 If they are emulated in Korea, I'll have a lot of compassion for the taxpayers. If they are emulated in Korea, I’ll have a lot of compassion for the taxpayers.

]]> By: dry http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211099 dry Sat, 07 Feb 2009 07:19:30 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211099 French social services are excellent and if they are emulated in Korea, I'll be impressed. French social services are excellent and if they are emulated in Korea, I’ll be impressed.

]]> By: dda http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211097 dda Sat, 07 Feb 2009 07:04:51 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211097 One thing we noticed, the wife and I, when we went back to France for a couple of years, is that while the immigrant population seems to have, as an average, a large brood per household, the "natives" also seem to have more kids. The local kindergarten cum primary school next door our flat is already over capacity, and our hood is very very white. We seemed to see so many many pregnant women, and young mothers, of all races. The thing that did shock us is the number of smoking pregnant women. Amazing. The welfare state, as it is today in France, is a huge mess, but people indeed seem to have more time and money to make kids. Not that I'd want to have again to pay the kind of taxes levied on French households... One thing we noticed, the wife and I, when we went back to France for a couple of years, is that while the immigrant population seems to have, as an average, a large brood per household, the “natives” also seem to have more kids. The local kindergarten cum primary school next door our flat is already over capacity, and our hood is very very white. We seemed to see so many many pregnant women, and young mothers, of all races.

The thing that did shock us is the number of smoking pregnant women. Amazing.

The welfare state, as it is today in France, is a huge mess, but people indeed seem to have more time and money to make kids. Not that I’d want to have again to pay the kind of taxes levied on French households…

]]> By: hoju_saram http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211092 hoju_saram Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:39:38 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211092 I think Korea ought to concentrate on getting off the bottom of this table: www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_wel_sta_the_wel_sta_and_soc_exp_of_gdp-welfare-state-social-expenditure-gdp Instead of aspiring to be at the top of it. I think Korea ought to concentrate on getting off the bottom of this table:

http://www.nationmaster.com/gr.....diture-gdp

Instead of aspiring to be at the top of it.

]]> By: ScottF http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211088 ScottF Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:26:42 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211088 Sonagi - Good point about US birth rates in the Catholic community Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic. I think religion and culture do play a part in average family size and birth rates but the biggest factor is how far along a group is in the modern economy and the amount of ease people want for themselves and their kids (i.e. having children in an agrarian society as a form of future security versus the time and expense of raising children in upper middle class families. Sonagi – Good point about US birth rates in the Catholic community Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic.

I think religion and culture do play a part in average family size and birth rates but the biggest factor is how far along a group is in the modern economy and the amount of ease people want for themselves and their kids (i.e. having children in an agrarian society as a form of future security versus the time and expense of raising children in upper middle class families.

]]> By: sylv http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/02/07/koreans-to-look-to-the-french-to-make-more-babies/#comment-211087 sylv Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:15:30 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/?p=10460#comment-211087 Scottf is probably correct. According to demographer Jacques Dupâquier, female French citizens of French descent had a fertility of 1.7 in 2007, female French citizen of whatever descent's was 1.8, but the official figure for fertility in France hit a record 2.02 in 2008. That's because it accounts for all women, whatever their nationality, probably including illegal aliens. And take a look at the fertility of non-French citizens in France: Africans' (Black) is 4.4, Turks' 3.3, North Africans' (Arab) 3.25 and Asians' 2.83. Interestingly, these foreigners' fertility is also systematically higher than back in their home countries. HT to <a href="http://fr.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090206123014AATAcNB" rel="nofollow"> Anenzephalia</a> (in French) Scottf is probably correct. According to demographer Jacques Dupâquier, female French citizens of French descent had a fertility of 1.7 in 2007, female French citizen of whatever descent’s was 1.8, but the official figure for fertility in France hit a record 2.02 in 2008. That’s because it accounts for all women, whatever their nationality, probably including illegal aliens. And take a look at the fertility of non-French citizens in France: Africans’ (Black) is 4.4, Turks’ 3.3, North Africans’ (Arab) 3.25 and Asians’ 2.83. Interestingly, these foreigners’ fertility is also systematically higher than back in their home countries.

HT to Anenzephalia (in French)

]]>