Re:Who Americans spend their time with, by age
by iguy on Friday December 11, 2020 @01:00PM
(#25388618)
I think you greatly overestimate population growth rates in the past here. A world where 4 successful sons was the norm has population doubling every decade or so, no society has done that. A world with just 2 has doubling every 25 years, and this was extremely unusual in the pre-industrial world. A few places in the new world (like Quebec) managed this for a while, and it was an astonishing phenomenon to people (like Malthus) who saw the numbers.
Most places were much closer to equilibrium, with about the same number of people farming a given district from one generation to the next. Something more like 3 adult children, one of whom never has a family, is what you should imagine. And then it's easy to picture multigenerational households being common. As they were, in many (but not all) parts of the world.
Most places were much closer to equilibrium, with about the same number of people farming a given district from one generation to the next. Something more like 3 adult children, one of whom never has a family, is what you should imagine. And then it's easy to picture multigenerational households being common. As they were, in many (but not all) parts of the world.