Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-tnzcf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-14T00:42:06.685Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Orientations Towards Voluntary Childlessness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Frances E. Baum
Frances E. Baum
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Nottingham
Get accessRights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This paper reports on a study of decision-making among voluntarily childless couples that was conducted in Britain. The discussion is based on evidence from an intensive interview survey with 38 childless husbands and wives. Four main orientations towards childlessness have been delineated, hedonistic, idealistic, emotional and practical. These are based on the decision-making processes childless couples go through. Each orientation is described, showing that childless individuals can differ markedly in their attitude towards not having children and in their values and ideas about life in general. It is maintained that these differences are important in understanding the complexities of voluntary childlessness and can have practical value in studying aspects of the phenomenon, such as forecasting changes in the pattern of childlessness.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , April 1983, pp. 153 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © 1983, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Baum, F. & Cope, D.R. (1980) Some characteristics of intentionally childless wives in Britain. J. biosoc. Sci. 12, 287.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, P.E., Cumber, B. & Hartner, R. (1978) Decision-making patterns and post-decision adjustment of childfree husbands and wives. Alt. Lifestyles, 1, 71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eversley, D. (1978) Welfare. In: Population Decline in Europe. Council of Europe. Arnold, London.Google Scholar
Eversley, D. (1980 a) Social policy and the birth rate. New Society, 3rd 04, 9.Google Scholar
Eversley, D. (1980 b) Does Britain need a population policy? Policy Stud. 1, 33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eversley, D. & Evans, A. (1976) Demographic change and the demand for housing. In: The Uncertain Future. Edited by Buxton, M. and Craven, E.. Centre for Studies in Social Policy, London.Google Scholar
Goodbody, S.T. (1977) The psychosocial implications of voluntary childlessness. Social Casework, 58, 426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gustavus, S.O. & Henley, J.O. (1971) Correlates of voluntary childlessness in a select population. Social Biol. 18, 277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Houseknecht, S.K. (1979) Timing of the decision to remain voluntarily childless: evidence for continuous socialisation. Psychol. of Women Q. 4, 81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nason, E.M. & Poloma, M. (1976) Voluntarily Childless Couples: the Emergence of a Variant Lifestyle. Sage Research Papers in the Social Sciences, Series No. 90–040, 5. Sage Publications, New York.Google Scholar
Rapoport, R., Rapoport, R.N. & Strelitz, Z. (1979) Fathers, Mothers and Others. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.Google Scholar
Silka, L. & Kiesler, S. (1977) Couples who choose to remain childless. Fam. Plann. Perspect. 9, 16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tweedie, J. (1979) Perhaps it is time to try a touch of panic breeding now. Guardian, 1st 03, 13.Google Scholar
Veevers, J.E. (1973) Voluntarily childless wives: an exploratory study. Sociol. social Res. 57, 356.Google Scholar
Veevers, J.E. (1979) Voluntary childlessness: a review of issues and evidence. Marr. Fam Rev. 2, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Veevers, J.E. (1980) Childless by Choice. Butterworths, Toronto.Google Scholar