#1229 Nandita Bajaj, Zachary Neal, and Jennifer Neal: Debunking Pronatalist Claims
RECORDED ON DECEMBER 10th 2025.
Nandita Bajaj is the Executive Director of Population Balance, a US nonprofit that works to inspire narrative, behavioral, and system change that shrinks our human impact and elevates the rights and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet. She is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University.
Dr. Zachary Neal is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. His current research is focused primarily on two topics: network backbones and childfree individuals.
Dr. Jennifer Watling Neal is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. She is interested in understanding the prevalence, characteristics, and experiences of childfree adults.
In this episode, we debunk myths surrounding childfree choices and pronatalism. We discuss what it is to be childfree, whether most people without children are “childless by circumstance”, declining fertility rates, whether people with children are happier, and whether people want large families. We also talk about the idea that we are headed toward “population collapse”, whether aging populations need more babies, and whether pronatalism represents a threat to women’s reproductive rights.
Time Links:
Intro
What is childfree?
Are most people without children “childless by circumstance”?
Declining fertility rates
Are people with children happier?
Do people want large families?
Are we headed toward “population collapse”?
Do aging populations need more babies?
Does pronatalism represent a threat to women’s reproductive rights?
A final message
Follow their work!
Follow their work:
Population Balance: https://shorturl.at/EhWKy
Birthgap Facts: https://www.birthgapfacts.org/
Beyond Pronatalism podcast: https://tinyurl.com/32v7yfhb