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Originally Posted by mousquet
I was very surprised the 1st time I heard of this. The basic problem in Germany is some sort of little sexism combined to a certain notion of parenting. The latter is the key issue here. I think that's what Crawford is alluding to. In the German lifestyle, a young mother shouldn't be working. They're supposed to stay home to take care of their little kids. Once kids are teens, they may work without being called unfit, neglectful mothers. It can't work in contemporary society. Many young women would rather care about their careers and say - we'll see about kids later.
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This phenomenon is called "Rabenmutter". It's a very bad insult to working mothers. In German society it's still ingrained that, because motherhood is a choice, once you make such a choice, family, not work, is the priority, or you're neglecting your kids.
So, yes, benefits for German mothers will have to increase, but that is not the main issue. The US and UK have limited benefits for mothers compared to Germany, yet they both have birthrates like those of the French.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mousquet
They only need to learn how to rely on nurseries while they're at work, then this particular problem would be solved. I know some mean French would say - ha ha, we'll soon be the largest population of Western Europe. The smarter point is the Germans are actually quite helpful, eh. It's no secret here. So we have no interest in seeing their population declining.
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I actually think that France has a brighter future than Germany. Yes, Germany has the better economy right now, and probably slightly higher quality of life, but I think long-term trends favor the French.
For one, the French don't need immigrants; Germany does. And Germany needs TONS of immigrants just to have a stable population. You see lots of kids on the streets of French cities, and not just Arabs or immigrants/children of immigrants. In contrast, Germany may have to choose between identity and prosperity. In the big German cities already 70%+ of school-age children are immigrants or children of immigrants.
And second, the French have clung to their native culture tighter than the Germans. Along with high native birthrates, this means that French society and cultural norms can continue into the indefinite future. I think this, in the long-run, will be more beneficial, as French culture has so much to offer the world. Germans are more globalist in outlook, which I think harms some of their cultural attributes (especially the Protestant sacrifice, thrift and modesty).