Catherine Pakaluk, an associate professor at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, is the author of *Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth*. In a conversation with City Journal associate editor Daniel Kennelly, she shared insights from her research on birth rates and family dynamics.
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Pakaluk's research addresses the significant decline in birth rates worldwide, examining who continues to have children and their motivations. She interviewed college-educated women with five or more children across ten American regions. The findings portray a group whose experiences shed light on the broader societal crisis of declining birth rates and contribute to the conversation about family values.
Her narrative approach highlighted that while women with large families may seem like outliers, their decisions stem from rational choices often influenced by deeper meanings and purposes. Pakaluk argues that financial incentives alone have not effectively increased birth rates, suggesting that nations need to support religious and community structures that promote the value of children. Many of the women she studied expressed a religious conviction regarding family expansion, viewing children as blessings and integral to marriage.
When discussing the nature of family demand for children, Pakaluk emphasized that the desire for children is not purely a consumer choice. Instead, families act as both buyers and contributors to the 'good' of parenthood, making it challenging to determine if low birth rates result from a diminished demand for children or reduced capacity to have them. Her research indicates that the issue is more about demand; the women saw the costs of parenthood as significant, yet felt compelled to pursue it due to the inherent value they placed on raising children.
Pakaluk gained attention on social media after responding to French President Emmanuel Macron, who claimed that well-educated women do not have large families. She shared a message alongside a photo of herself with her children, prompting a global conversation as numerous women chimed in with their experiences. The overwhelmingly positive response was a surprise to her, signaling a strong public interest in family narratives.
Looking ahead, Pakaluk plans to expand her research to include fathers of large families, exploring their motivations and experiences, which she believes have been largely overlooked. Additionally, she aims to study young married couples under 25 to understand their decision-making processes regarding marriage and family.
Pakaluk noted that her work aims to illustrate the healthy aspects of civilization rather than focusing solely on dysfunction. She also expressed her admiration for Sigrid Undset’s novel *Kristin Lavransdatter*, which she feels accurately captures the complexities and rewards of motherhood.