Two interesting pieces in the news last week pertaining to onlydom:
One on China:
China: Reining in the Rich on One-Child Policy
And one that reflects on work/family policy here in the US:
The Motherhood Experiment
Very clever the way this second piece, by Sharon Lerner, links women's work/life issues, fertility rates, and national policy. Lerner notes that the U.S., with its largely hands-off approach to family policy, spends far less than other wealthy countries on child care while guaranteeing no paid parental leave--all of which leads women to feel that they must choose either work or motherhood. "As a result," she concludes, "being an employed parent may be more difficult here than in countries now experiencing even the most severe baby droughts."
Now here's the part I love: Counter to the rhetoric of family-values champions, the promotion of larger families and the promotion of women's careers may go hand in hand. Keep an eye out for Lerner's book--it sounds smart.
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