Introduction
With the ever-changing social demographics around the globe, families are facing extinction. On the one hand, some want to continue parenthood, while on the other, people are opting not to have kids. Seccombe (2017) defines marriage as a legally recognized relationship consisting of economic, social, and sexual responsibilities between two partners. Further, the author highlights the phases through which marriage has undergone to reach its current status. However, the institution has come under pressure from the pursuit of individual hedonistic happiness, which has led to many social problems, such as teenage delinquency, poverty, and violence (Seccombe, 2017). As such, the egocentric behavior witnessed has led to the collapse of family values. Conversely, marriage has not become weak in the modern era rather, the lack of structural support to cushion families from social problems has rendered it disorganized hence the need to support the permanent union. This paper looks into the consequences of taxing the childless population at the expense of families and the views of functionalists and conflict theorists toward pronatalism.
Pronatalism, Functionalism, and Conflict Theorists
Since time immemorial, the family unit has been the backbone of human development and its continuity. The culture of marrying and raising children as a way of continuing the family and society as a whole is practiced around the globe. Basing her support for marriage, Seccombe (2017) demonstrates how political, cultural, and social factors enhance personal decisions on relationships. Further, the detailed exploration of close relationships with a focus on singlehood and other aspects of parenthood shows the author’s advocacy for pronatalism while highlighting how many people are opting out of parenthood. Perhaps the main question many ask is: what is the relevance of taxing those without kids while exempting parents? In the United States, Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) have been implemented to cushion families with children earning low wages from federal tax. On the other hand, childless adults earning below the poverty line receive no benefits and are taxed, resulting in many individuals between the ages of 19 and 67 becoming poorer (Marr & Huang, 2020). This is a challenge that puzzles pronatalists since the government makes this group sink into more debt and, in the process, discourages them from having children.
Furthermore, many people promote the idea of marriage and family continuation. Functionalists consider the components of population development, such as birth, growth, and death as necessary in society (Open Stax.org, n.d.). According to them, a community thrives from its growth as it becomes self-reliant to meet future challenges and therefore, pronatalism is the backbone of the society. In addition, conflict theorists presuppose that the world has enough food and resources for its population and as such, there are no serious problems resulting from its growth (Open Stax.org, n.d.). Moreover, both perspectives from functionalism and conflict theorists support the culture of siring children by families.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Seccombe views marriage as a union between two people who are socially, economically, and legally bound. The partnership’s responsibility is to carry on the family tree through the raising of children. Although they are facing challenges, she looks at the positive side of meeting tomorrow’s goals through society’s continuation, hence the importance of pronatalism. On the other hand, introducing a tax on childless people is wrong; instead, the government should give incentives to such individuals to encourage them to raise kids. Lastly, both functionalist and conflict theorists agree on the importance of society thus encouraging pronatalism.
References
Marr, C., & Huang, Y. (2020). Childless adults are the lone group taxed into poverty. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Web.
Open Stax.org. (n.d.). Theoretical perspectives in sociology – Introduction to sociology 3e | OpenStax. Web.
Seccombe, K. (2017). Exploring marriages and families. Pearson.