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Singkong
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Sydney - leaving in late 2005 for Thailand
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 Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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| sidjameson wrote: |
| While I was in Malaysia it seemed every Chinese malay I talked to had or wanted to have a sinlge child. Talk to the ethnic muslims though, my goodness, 8, 9, 10 kids seemed to be the norm. Thats the danger of all religions; they encourage one to think about the next life more than this one. I'd guess that when one is certain that a future paradise awaits then one isn't too bothered about the enviromenatl and sociological devistation that over populating this world creates. |
I think there's truth in this, but I wonder how much is to do with 1. poverty and 2. medical advances and improved sanitation and water supply.
As people escape poverty and become educated, they generally have less children - in spite of what their religion might teach.
But if they remain poor and have lots of kids... those kids are likely to survive. In previous generations many of the kids would have died, so families were smaller.
I'm thinking of a Madurese refugee I met (one of those who fled from Kalimantan back to Madura) who was nursing her 10th child. She would have chosen to have fewer kids, but her husband was devout and didn't believe in contraception.
All her children had survived so far. It turned out that her own mother had had 11 children - and only the one survived. You can see why people had lots of kids in those days.
That culture has to change, but it will take time. Education will help, as will better economic conditions for the poor (through a strong economy or development assistance). Religion will hinder it, but probably won't stop it. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| sidjameson wrote: |
| While I was in Malaysia it seemed every Chinese malay I talked to had or wanted to have a sinlge child. |
Don't know whom you might have been talking to. The two main ethnic groups in Malaysia are the Malays and the Chinese. By definition, there are no "Chinese Malays" (unless, of course, they are mixed 50/50). There are, instead, Chinese Malaysians.  |
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