Alice Evans

So I guess there's the right wing, the left wing, and then there's the Alice Evans take. Okay. I think the conservative right in the US will blame childless cat ladies, right? So they'll say that women are overeducated, they're living with their cats, and they're very, very selfish. Correct. But... Here's the thing.

So I guess there's the right wing, the left wing, and then there's the Alice Evans take. Okay. I think the conservative right in the US will blame childless cat ladies, right? So they'll say that women are overeducated, they're living with their cats, and they're very, very selfish. Correct. But... Here's the thing.

So I guess there's the right wing, the left wing, and then there's the Alice Evans take. Okay. I think the conservative right in the US will blame childless cat ladies, right? So they'll say that women are overeducated, they're living with their cats, and they're very, very selfish. Correct. But... Here's the thing.

That theory has two major omissions, because the collapse in fertility is happening at vastly different political economies. I mean, in Tunisia and Turkey, female labour force participation is very low, around 30%, and yet their fertility is only 1.5%. So even in places where women aren't even getting jobs, they're not having kids. You know, in India, extremely patriarchal casteist society.

That theory has two major omissions, because the collapse in fertility is happening at vastly different political economies. I mean, in Tunisia and Turkey, female labour force participation is very low, around 30%, and yet their fertility is only 1.5%. So even in places where women aren't even getting jobs, they're not having kids. You know, in India, extremely patriarchal casteist society.

That theory has two major omissions, because the collapse in fertility is happening at vastly different political economies. I mean, in Tunisia and Turkey, female labour force participation is very low, around 30%, and yet their fertility is only 1.5%. So even in places where women aren't even getting jobs, they're not having kids. You know, in India, extremely patriarchal casteist society.

But in Tamil Nadu in the south, it's got exactly the same fertility rate as England and Wales. That's 1.4%. So it's not just about these overeducated women pursuing their careers. Also, there's also a class-based variation. So the US right tends to blame these overeducated women. In Sweden and in Finland, the rate of childlessness is actually amongst the most disadvantaged people.

But in Tamil Nadu in the south, it's got exactly the same fertility rate as England and Wales. That's 1.4%. So it's not just about these overeducated women pursuing their careers. Also, there's also a class-based variation. So the US right tends to blame these overeducated women. In Sweden and in Finland, the rate of childlessness is actually amongst the most disadvantaged people.

But in Tamil Nadu in the south, it's got exactly the same fertility rate as England and Wales. That's 1.4%. So it's not just about these overeducated women pursuing their careers. Also, there's also a class-based variation. So the US right tends to blame these overeducated women. In Sweden and in Finland, the rate of childlessness is actually amongst the most disadvantaged people.

They're least likely to have children.

They're least likely to have children.

They're least likely to have children.

Absolutely. So many people across the world experience economic difficulties. And so these could be like very high house prices in New York, making it much more expensive to have an apartment with an extra room or the very expensive cost of childcare. You know, when I was in San Francisco, people would say, oh, it might be 30,000, super, super expensive.

Absolutely. So many people across the world experience economic difficulties. And so these could be like very high house prices in New York, making it much more expensive to have an apartment with an extra room or the very expensive cost of childcare. You know, when I was in San Francisco, people would say, oh, it might be 30,000, super, super expensive.

Absolutely. So many people across the world experience economic difficulties. And so these could be like very high house prices in New York, making it much more expensive to have an apartment with an extra room or the very expensive cost of childcare. You know, when I was in San Francisco, people would say, oh, it might be 30,000, super, super expensive.

And that's prohibitively difficult for many families. Now, those difficulties are real, and governments should take those economic concerns seriously, and I'm all here supporting cheaper housing, more affordable housing, greater access to safer, accessible childcare.

And that's prohibitively difficult for many families. Now, those difficulties are real, and governments should take those economic concerns seriously, and I'm all here supporting cheaper housing, more affordable housing, greater access to safer, accessible childcare.

And that's prohibitively difficult for many families. Now, those difficulties are real, and governments should take those economic concerns seriously, and I'm all here supporting cheaper housing, more affordable housing, greater access to safer, accessible childcare.

However, I don't think that explanation is a full story, because it won't explain why it's happening everywhere all at once, even at very, very different levels of income. And so that brings us to the Alice Evans theory. Yes, exactly. So what has happened everywhere all at once is that we see a rise of singles.

However, I don't think that explanation is a full story, because it won't explain why it's happening everywhere all at once, even at very, very different levels of income. And so that brings us to the Alice Evans theory. Yes, exactly. So what has happened everywhere all at once is that we see a rise of singles.