The Canadian Birth Rate has said to have declined in the past 20 years. Discuss this theroy. Upon what reasons has this occurred?

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The Canadian Birth Rate has said to have declined in the past 20 years. Discuss this theroy. Upon what reasons has this occurred? Sociologists across Canada, as in most industrialized countries, are concerned with the decline in the birth rate.  A century ago, as families immigrated to Canada, maintaining a high birth rate was of primary importance for the growth and development of the country.  A high population density was necessary for agriculture and industrial development.  Children were used as a source of labour and because many babies did not survive to adulthood it was essential for these settlers to have large families.          Throughout the 1900s, however, there has been a demographic transition in Canada. The average Canadian birth rate per 1,000 population was 21.6 in 1940, 27.1 in 1950, 17.5 in 1970 and 15.3 in 1990. (Statistics Canada, Canadian Center, Selected Birth, 1993:P32-33)  While the early twentieth century had high birth and death rates, after World War I, birth rates declined.  From the end of World War II to the mid-1960s, Canada experienced a ‘baby boom’ in which a great number of babies were born over a short period of time.  Between the years of 1946 and 1964, 76 million children were born.  (Barna, 1994: P.264)  Since 1970 there has again been a decline in the birth rates.  Many people including government officials, are concerned with these statistics.  Why have there been so many radical changes?  This research paper will focus on the phenomenon of declining Canadian birth rates.  An overview of the changes in birth and mortality rates during the last fifty years provides an opportunity to examine the factors which have shaped the population decline.           Socio-economic, political and technological factors are responsible for the decline of Canadian birth rates.  On a socio-political level, several factors influence birth rates. First, fertility rates vary among different ethnic, religious and language groups, whose strong beliefs influence behavior.  Some Canadian cultural groups such as Italians and Greeks do not accept cohabitation or single parenting (Baker, 1993: P.295).  With these strict moral codes of values, opportunities for unplanned pregnancies are reduced.  Those who do not abide to this code are made to feel shameful.  Religious beliefs also have strong controls over people's behavior.  Groups such as Mennonites, Hutterites and Mormons oppose birth control and abortions, and encourage large families because they view children as gifts from God (baker, 1993: P.176).  Religious and language beliefs have influenced the behavior of French Canadians.  Researchers state that the birth rate change in Quebec, during the 1960s, was due to cultural changes precipitated by the “Quiet Revolution”.  This cultural upheaval occurred when the Catholic Church lost control over the Quebec population as society moved away from religion, placing more emphasis on occupational success for both men and women (Baker, 1993: P.177).  Ultimately, there is great concern that francophones will become a smaller minority in Canada.  Statistics Canada reveals that the birth rate per 1,000 population in Quebec, though above average with 26.8 in 1941 and 29.8 in 1951, has declined to 14.8 in 1971 and 14.5 in 1990 (Statistics Canada, Canadian Center, Selected Birth, 1993: P.32-33).          More career oriented women remaining single or delaying childbirth are
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also affecting the birth rates.  Statistics Canada revealed that the number of marriages per 1,000 population decreased from 8.8 in 1970, 8.0 in 1980 to 7.1 in 1990 (Statistics Canada, Canadian Center, Selected Birth, 1992: P.17-18).  Conversely, the average age at first marriage for brides showed an increase from 22.6 in 1971, 23.3 in 1980 to 26.0 in 1990 (Statistics Canada, Canadian Center, Housing, Family, 1993: P.17).  A similar increase occurred with the age of grooms.  Another relevant statistic to examine is women’s fertility rates.  Women's fertility rates have decreased over the years.  The mean age of Canadian women at ...

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