“Para muchos, los perros ocupan un espacio en la familia similar al de un hijo”

The article debunks the popular belief that Spain’s growing dog population is driving down birth rates. Although there are more pets than children under the age of fourteen, experts clarify that there is no negative relationship between these two variables. Most households that live with dogs also have children, demonstrating that the presence of animals does not act as an exclusive obstacle to family formation. The current low birth rate is attributed to structural socioeconomic factors, such as job insecurity, difficulties in balancing professional and personal life, and access to housing, rather than a preference for pets. Dogs have evolved to provide vital emotional support, meeting companionship needs in an increasingly fragmented social context, without competing with the decision to have children. This distinction is relevant for open data because it highlights the importance of carefully analyzing correlations in relation to causation. By accessing open demographic and pet-ownership datasets, researchers can dismantle simplistic narratives that confuse statistical simultaneity with direct causation, promoting a more rigorous understanding of complex social dynamics.

Source: lavanguardia.com
Published on 2024-10-15

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