Why are birth rates dropping?

An interesting essay in The Atlantic examines the falling birth rate in developed nations — in particular looking at the views of feminist writer Laura Kipnis.

“The reason why fewer women are giving birth in Western countries, Kipnis says, is education: ‘Though no one exactly says it, women are voting with their ovaries, and the reason is simple. There are too few social supports, especially given the fact that the majority of women are no longer just mothers now, they’re mother-workers. Yet virtually no social policy accounts for this. Interestingly, women with the most education are the ones having the fewest children, though even basic literacy has a negative effect on birthrates in the developing world — the higher the literacy rate, the lower the birthrate. In other words, when women acquire critical skills and start weighing their options, they soon wise up to the fact that they’re not getting enough recompense for their labors.’”