Women's experiential journey toward voluntary childlessness: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

Voluntary childlessness is a relatively novel yet growing phenomenon. It has implications on fertility rates, our ageing society, health and social care, and economic growth. This idiographic study explored three women's experiential journeys toward voluntary childlessness to help understand this phenomenon and its impact on contemporary society. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Themes identified were: the legacy of feminism, models of mothering, and owning the choice to be childless. Despite defining 'voluntary childlessness' as an unequivocal decision, the women's experiential accounts revealed an intrinsic complexity in their journeys toward childlessness. Factors including beliefs in equality, independence and career aspirations competed with constructs of mothering/motherhood, partnership and choice to create a complex tapestry of contributory factors in these women's childlessness. The findings question the notion of choice and particularly women's ownership of that choice. The journeys toward childlessness that these women shared reveal a synthesis of agentic decision-making, personal histories and challenging lifestyle choices bound up within an existential need to be a woman. Further research is needed to fully understand the role of voluntary childlessness within society's notion of family, its care systems, and its impact on future generations.

A phenomenological exploration of the childfree choice in a sample of Australian women

“…Childfree women 3 Voluntarily Childfree Women: A Phenomenological Exploration of the Childfree Choice Women who 'reject' the notion of motherhood and choose to remain childfree are a relatively new and growing cohort in industrialised countries (Abma & Martinez, 2006;Park, 2005;Rowland, 2007;Shaw, 2011). A survey of 7,448 Australian women aged from 22 to 27 years revealed that 9.1% desire to remain childfree The conscious choice to remain childless automatically places women outside the constraints of cultural and societal expectations underpinned by an ideology of pronatalism (Park, 2005).…”

“…Ten voluntarily childfree women participated in a qualitative study in which unstructured interviews ensured each woman's unique story emerged through its telling. The data analysis revealed three broad themes -first, the experiences and processes of making the choice; second, the ongoing effects of their choice, ranging from support and acceptance to pressure and discrimination; and finally, there was no regret as the women described engaging in meaningful, generative activities that contributed to society.Childfree women 3 Voluntarily Childfree Women: A Phenomenological Exploration of the Childfree Choice Women who 'reject' the notion of motherhood and choose to remain childfree are a relatively new and growing cohort in industrialised countries (Abma & Martinez, 2006;Park, 2005;Rowland, 2007;Shaw, 2011). A survey of 7,448 Australian women aged from 22 to 27 years revealed that 9.1% desire to remain childfree The conscious choice to remain childless automatically places women outside the constraints of cultural and societal expectations underpinned by an ideology of pronatalism (Park, 2005).…”

A Qualitative Longitudinal Exploration of the Lived Experience of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery

“…IPA studies require a homogenous sample [35,48]. At baseline, the Caucasian sample of seven participants (of whom five were female) ranged in age from 39 -58 years…”

‘We thought if it’s going to take two years then we need to start that now’: age, infertility risk and the timing of pregnancy in older first-time mothers

“…This is reflected in the negative attitudes held societally towards those who either cannot or do not have children (Gillespie, 2000;Letherby, 1999;Shaw, 2011). As a result of this, in relation to motherhood, the only relevant question is not 'if' women will have children, but 'when', with 'older mothers' being those that are simply 'delaying the inevitable' (Smajdor, 2009).…”