Intersections (YouTube) | Who Wouldn’t Want More Babies? Understanding Pronatalism in the U.S.
Who Wouldn’t Want More Babies?
Understanding Pronatalism in the U.S.
Susan D. Stewart, Ph.D.
Social Demographer and Professor, Iowa State University
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OCTOBER 3, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
** online event **
Pronatalism is the idea that having many children is good for society and that childbearing should therefore be encouraged. The United States and other low fertility countries are experiencing a surge in pronatalist sentiment, and the Trump Administration is developing a range of social and economic policies designed to entice people to have more children. However, these policies and the “fertilization president” himself are being met with a considerable degree of skepticism, if not outright hostility. Why, if children are an absolute good, are pronatalist movements so fraught? Dr. Stewart explores the U.S. pronatalist movement in the context of broad population trends and pronatalism historically and globally.
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ABOUT OUR PRESENTER | Susan Stewart (she/her/hers) is a social demographer and professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Iowa State University. She is the author of several books and has published her research in a range of journals including Demography, Journal of Family Issues, and Journal of Gynecology and Women’s Health. Her research broadly focuses on gender, family diversity, and health. She is currently serving as the Co-President of the Iowa Sociological Association and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Population Research and Policy Review (PRPR). More information about Dr. Stewart can be found at https://faculty.sites.iastate.edu/stewarts/.
Intersections is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. It's an opportunity to learn, to participate in civil dialogue, and to discuss issues at the crossroads of religion and politics.