FCS 231 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Antinatalism, Natalism, Childlessness
25 Sep 2018
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77% of 1st year college students rated having children as essential or very important to them. Our society has a pronatalist bias: having children is taken for granted. 80% of american women say being or becoming a mother is important to their identity. Some of the strongest pressures may come from a couples parents. Some argue that u. s. society has become antinatalist. Compared to other nations at our economic level. Nutrition, social service, financial aid and education programs directly affecting the welfare of children are not adequate. Past: couples without children were referred to as being childless. Child-free: couples who do not expect or intend to have children. 76% of women surveyed in 2001 said no . Costs of parenthood outweigh benefits (social exchange theory) Lack of choice/control over child"s eventual outcome or personality characteristics. Rejectors motivated by costs of having children. Aficionados base decision on advantages of child-free lifestyle. A compromise between challenges of parenthood and childlessness.
