Question

The "nineteen-kids-and-counting" example is used in the article in order to illustrate how a cultural norm that allows families to bring as many children into existence as they wish could be self-destructive to that very culture. Name the country to which this example is applied in the article.

Answer 1

The "19 kids and counting" was a famous TV show of a populous family, the Duggars, who were Baptists and they avoided birth control saying that they God will determine the number of kids they would have.

This cultural norm proved to be self destructive in many cultures. There are many countries in the world that exercise birth control.

• CHINA is the best known case. Established in 1979, Chinese families are fined if they have more than one child. Wealthy families can afford to pay that fine ( 3 to 10 times the household income) but poor families struggle and they often go to Singapore or emigrate to the States.

But, there are other countries that also exercise birth control policies.

• India is paying families to wait to have babies. The state offers newlyweds money if they wait for 2 years before having their first child.
• In Uzbekistan, the government has instituted a policy of forced sterilizations of women after their second child.
• In Pakistan, authorities are promoting child spacing by encouraging 3 years between babies, something supported by the Koran, which recommends 24 months of breastfeeding.