Sociology
The Demographic Transition and the Changing Economic Value of Children
Quick fact
In agrarian societies, children are economic assets who contribute to family income, but as economies industrialize, they become economic liabilities who require long and costly education, causing a dramatic drop in desired family size.
Why this is interesting
Your great-great-grandparents likely had many siblings, but you probably have few. Why did the ideal family size change so drastically in just a few generations?