{"id":3159,"date":"2025-08-15T15:18:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T15:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/news\/disaster-response-in-rural-america-diana-bryant-highlights-urgent-policy-needs-copy\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T00:31:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T00:31:10","slug":"rethinking-birth-rate-fears","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/news\/rethinking-birth-rate-fears\/","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking Birth Rate Fears: U.S. Demographic Trends in Context"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-3159\" data-postid=\"3159\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-3159 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n                    <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_b9of070 tb_first tf_w\">\n                        <div class=\"row_inner col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tf_box tf_rel\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col-full tb_cx8h420 first\">\n                    <!-- module fancy heading -->\n<div  class=\"module module-fancy-heading tb_ljri007 \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <h1 class=\"fancy-heading\">\n    <span class=\"main-head tf_block\">\n                    Rethinking Birth Rate Fears            <\/span>\n\n    \n    <span class=\"sub-head tf_block tf_rel\">\n                    U.S. Demographic Trends in Context              <\/span>\n    <\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module fancy heading -->\n<!-- Breadcrumbs module -->\n<div  class=\"module module-breadcrumbs tb_hd1q342 \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n\t<nav role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"tbp_breadcrumb_trail\"><ul class=\"tbp_trail_items\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/BreadcrumbList\"><meta name=\"numberOfItems\" content=\"1\" \/><meta name=\"itemListOrder\" content=\"Ascending\" \/><li itemprop=\"itemListElement\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ListItem\" class=\"tbp_trail_item tbp_trail_end\"><a itemprop=\"item\" href=\"https:\/\/ruralsociology.org\/\" rel=\"home\"><span itemprop=\"name\">Home<\/span><\/a><meta itemprop=\"position\" content=\"1\" \/><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><!-- \/Breadcrumbs module -->\n<!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_izdx044   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <p data-start=\"228\" data-end=\"667\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\" data-ccp-charstyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;ac0262f4-8a9e-5820-b908-2d943c5f7113|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342446,&quot;1&quot;,201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,201342449,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777842,&quot;&quot;,469777843,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777844,&quot;Aptos&quot;,201341986,&quot;1&quot;,469769226,&quot;Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}\">In this thought-provoking piece, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">RSS Member <\/span><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">Shelley Clark<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\"> of McGill University<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">, along with co-authors Leslie Root and Karen Benjamin Guzzo,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\"> challenge the alarmist narrative surrounding declining birth rates in the U<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">nited States<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">. The <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">essay<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\"> explains that while fertility rates have dropped, the implications are far more nuanced than popular discourse suggests.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"eop\" data-ccp-charstyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;920dbcde-2834-5e15-a5fa-062170b236ba|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342446,&quot;1&quot;,201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,201342449,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777842,&quot;&quot;,469777843,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777844,&quot;Aptos&quot;,201341986,&quot;1&quot;,469769226,&quot;Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;eop&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;eop&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}\">\u202f<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW194999585 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-start=\"669\" data-end=\"993\">\n<p><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW177295968 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW177295968 BCX0\">\u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem to be the case that birth rates are low because people are uninterested in having children; rather, it\u2019s because they don\u2019t feel it\u2019s feasible for them to become parents or to have as many children as they would like.\u201d<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW177295968 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW250266253 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW250266253 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\" data-ccp-charstyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;ac0262f4-8a9e-5820-b908-2d943c5f7113|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342446,&quot;1&quot;,201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,201342449,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777842,&quot;&quot;,469777843,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777844,&quot;Aptos&quot;,201341986,&quot;1&quot;,469769226,&quot;Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;normaltextrun&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}\">Clark <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW250266253 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">and her co-authors <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW250266253 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"normaltextrun\">emphasize the importance of shifting the conversation toward sustainable population policies and understanding the broader context of demographic change.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW250266253 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"eop\" data-ccp-charstyle-defn=\"{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;920dbcde-2834-5e15-a5fa-062170b236ba|1&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[201342446,&quot;1&quot;,201342447,&quot;5&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,201342449,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777842,&quot;&quot;,469777843,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777844,&quot;Aptos&quot;,201341986,&quot;1&quot;,469769226,&quot;Aptos&quot;,268442635,&quot;24&quot;,469775450,&quot;eop&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;eop&quot;,335572020,&quot;1&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}\">\u202f<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW250266253 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"671\" data-end=\"993\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/fears-that-falling-birth-rates-in-us-could-lead-to-population-collapse-are-based-on-faulty-assumptions-261031\">\ud83d\udd17 Read the full article<\/a><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RSS Member, <strong>Shelley Clark<\/strong> with co-authors Leslie Root and Karen Benjamin Guzzo, argued that declining U.S. birth rates are more nuanced than popular narratives suggest. <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/fears-that-falling-birth-rates-in-us-could-lead-to-population-collapse-are-based-on-faulty-assumptions-261031 \">\ud83d\udd17 Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3161,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","news_announcements":[25,33],"class_list":["post-3159","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news_announcements-member-in-the-news","news_announcements-population","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"ptb_metabox":[],"ptb_taxonomy":{"news_announcements":[{"term_id":25,"name":"Member in the 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