In August of 2013, Time magazine chose as its cover story The Childfree Life, with a picture of a happy couple lounging on a beach, with what some have described as self-satisfied, smug grins (Sandler, 2013). If Time chose this photo in an effort to stir up some controversy, it definitely fulfilled its goals. Not surprisingly, the cover touched a lot of raw nerves, which led to numerous commentary articles and blog rants, both for and against the decision to be childfree. The following essay does not advocate that more individuals should be childfree. Rather, it attempts to bring a greater understanding of the decision to forego parenthood by addressing common myths and presenting statistics about childfree women. Finally, it discusses the desire of childfree women to be accepted as normal, without the common assumptions of a deviant, unhappy, unfulfilled, dissatisfied, or abnormal life. But what exactly does childfree mean? The word childfree is a term that has come to be preferred by those who have chosen intentionally not to have children. This is of course very different from the term childless, which has historically been used to describe individuals who do want children, but have been unable to conceive (Gold, 2013; DeLyser, 2012). In the United States, there are growing numbers and a community of women that are choosing to be childfree (DeLyser, 2012). This movement has been labeled as ‘‘one of the most remarkable changes in the modern family during the last few decades’’ (Gold, 2013, p. 224). However, despite the growing numbers of women choosing not to have children, current cultural attitudes and sociopolitical practices continue to promote the importance of traditional parenting, while dismissing and oftentimes cri... ... middle of paper ... ...pected. People are different and need different things. For some, childrearing is a wonderful challenge; for others it seems unappealing or even impossible. Normalization of being childfree is a gain for all of us, whether we choose to have children or not. It reminds us that kids are people, who deserve to be raised and nurtured by adults who proactively want to have them. In summation, most childfree woman simply want to be accepted as normal, and that women without children are not necessarily deviant, unhappy, unfulfilled, dissatisfied, or abnormal. It is asked for others to be mindful of and willing to challenge assumptions about women who choose to forego childhood, and that women who make this choice come from all types of family systems. A final hope is that others can recognize there may be legitimate, compelling and unselfish reasons not to have children.
This book is a study of the personal tales of many single mothers, with intentions to understand why single mothers from poor urban neighborhoods are increasingly having children out of wedlock at a young age and without promise of marrying their fathers. The authors chose to research their study in Philadelphia’s eight most devastated neighborhoods, where oppression and danger are high and substantial job opportunities are rare. They provide an excellent education against the myth that poor young urban women are having children due to a lack of education on birth control or because they intend to work the welfare system. Instead, having children is their best and perhaps only means of obtaining the purpose, validation and companionship that is otherwise difficult to find in the areas in which they live. For many of them, their child is the biggest promise they have to a better future. They also believe that though their life may not have been what they want, they want their child to have more and better opportunities and make it their life’s work to provide that.
In Wade F. Horn’s article “Promoting Marriage as a Means of Promoting Fatherhood,” Horn discusses how having a child and being married is better for children because the father is more involved in the child’s life. Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas’s “Unmarried with Children,” on the other hand, takes the reader through Jen’s story about getting pregnant at a young age and deciding not to marry the father of her son. While both sources make appeals to emotion, reason, and character, Edin and Kefalas’s article makes more successful appeals and thus is the stronger argument.
Around the 1950’s, the media perpetuated the idea of the picturesque family unit; children made the shift from being a necessary evil to a symbol of status. Children were no longer meant to help sustain the family, so much as meant to be trophies of the parents’ competentness. Children became an outlet for parents to mold and live through vicariously: the more perfect your child was, the better parent you were. The problem is not that people want to have children, but that many cannot afford to take care of their spawn. Whether you are a young mother utilizing the assistance of government programs such as WIC or simply writing off your children on your taxes, you are making use of government incentive to procreate. Reproduction is completely natural; however, once backed by government incentive, the motivations for having children can take an unnatural turn. Children may be a symbol of love and unity, but it has expanded beyond the family unit. Many children have become the responsibility of the Unite...
Over the past three decades these ideals, although they are still recognizable, have been drastically modified across all social classes. Women have joined the paid labor force in great numbers stimulated both by economic need and a new belief in their capabilities and right to pursue opportunities. Americans in 1992 are far more likely than in earlier times to postpone marriage. Single parent families--typically consisting of a mother with no adult male and very often no other adult person present-have become common. Today at least half of all marriages end in divorce (Gembrowski 3). Most adults no longer believe that couples should stay married because divorce might harm their children. Of course, these contemporary realities have great consequential impact on mother-ch...
There is much debate on what constitutes as a family today. However, Ball (2002) states, “The concept of the traditional family…is not an immutable one. It is a social construct that varies from culture to culture and, over time, the definition changes within a culture” (p. 68). There is a growing diversity of families today including the commonality of sole-parenting. In order to explore aspects of sole-parenthood objectively, I need to reflect and put aside my personal experience of growing up in sole-parent household. Furthermore, this essay will explore the historical origins, cultural aspects discussing the influences and implications of gender identity, and social structures of sole-parent families, as well as consider the implications in midwifery by applying the sociological imagination. Mills (2000/1959) describes the sociological imagination as “…a quality of mind that seems most dramatically to promise an understanding of the intimate realities of ourselves in connection with larger social realities” (p.15). In other words, the sociological imagination involves the ability to consider the relationships between personal experiences and those within society as a whole.
Fatherless has been one of the most important challenges and epidemics in our generation. The effects of growing up...
Often young women have these problems even though they have good values. The problem is they are not well informed.Parents don’t talk about this because “the girl is too young to learn about this themes”. This is a really sad mentality because unfortunately young girls are more in danger of a sexual abuse or have unprotected sex because they don’t realize the consequences of this action. So now we have to think. For example, If a poor person can’t support his or her family of 4 people. what would do the family if one of the girls has a baby?. The operation that the mother needs for giving birth and the medical assistance is too expensive. According to the author ,“many people received public assistance at some point, Those who worked usually in low-wage jobs made less than $10,000 in the years prior to the birth of the first child’’ . By focusing on what the author said we can assume that with some income you can support a little the birth of a child because the government is also helping you with medical assistance .But poor families that don’t work , and don’t qualify for this
In today’s society, the amounts of single-parent households are increasing and this is another reason for the existence of childhood poverty. Statistics show that children living in single-parent homes are five times more likely to be poor. More people are getting divorced and are also having children outside of wedlock. It has also been said that women rather than men head about 90% of single-parent families. One of the
The author indicates that along with positive feelings and thoughts about parenthood, there is a degree of anxiety about the changes this life experience will bring about. Chodorow (2003) also supports this concept of ambivalence. The author describes how a constellation of fantasies and defenses that are unconscious, can delay childbearing. Women, who use feminism or career-based reasons for delaying motherhood, do so based upon their psychic realities and the behaviors these realities have generated. Anxiety around uncertainty of roles, career delays, and how the quality of significant relationships in their lives will be affected by the arrival of a child, can unconsciously lead to a delay in preparing for motherhood (Wischmann, 2003). Women feel that the struggles they are experiencing with becoming a mother and those who may be hurt in the process (spouse and/or other family members) is their
A woman has the right to consider many options of dealing with unplanned pregnancies that may be a final burden they don’t want to take on during a time of hardship. Many women and young teens get pregnant at a time in their lives when they are still maturing and would rather terminate a pregnancy because they feel they are not ready for the added responsibility that a baby brings and want to continue getting an education with ease instead of the stresses of having to juggling on to many responsibilities all at once. “Being a single parent may interrupt careers and the ability to earn wages if complication occurs to take care of the household bills.” (Lowen, 2014). Because we live in a society that judges and places status on people some young mothers avoid becoming young single mothers of not having to deal with parental disapproval. “Lately abortions have been on the decline since the introduction of long-term contraceptives like intrauterine devices and may be also the recent recession and the economy's unpredictability.” (Eckholm, 2014). Thanks to adoption agencies instead of aborting...
There is much debate on what constitutes as a family today. However, Ball (2002) states, “The concept of the traditional family…is not an immutable one. It is a social construct that varies from culture to culture and, over time, the definition changes within a culture” (pp. 68). There is a growing diversity of families today including the commonality of sole-parenting. In order to explore aspects of sole-parenthood objectively, I need to reflect and put aside my personal experience of growing up in sole-parent household. Furthermore, this essay will explore the historical origins, cultural aspects discussing the influences and implications of gender identity, and social structures of sole-parent families, as well as consider the implications in midwifery by applying the sociological imagination. Mills (2000/1959) describes the sociological imagination as “…a quality of mind that seems most dramatically to promise an understanding of the intimate realities of ourselves in connection with larger social realities” (pp.15). In other words, the sociological imagination involves the ability to consider the relationships between personal experiences and those within society as a whole.
Traditional families are becoming a thing of the past. Women are no longer staying at home and assuming their womanly roles that society once expected from them. Due to their choices and living environment, they have to do what they can to raise the children that being into this world.
Fifty years ago, the typical American family included a mother, father and their children. However today, “One in every four children in the United States are being raised by a single parent. Experts point to a variety of factors to explain the high US figure including a cultural shift toward greater acceptance of single parent rearing.”(Armario). As these numbers continue to rise due to modern day ideas and the increasing divorce rate, the children of single parents struggle. “Today 41% of all births were to unmarried women.”(Hymowitz). Single parent families have a detrimental effect on the psychological development of children because single parent families lack financial stability and quality parenting, in addition to lacking a stress free environment.
Child abuse refers to lack of care or any type of emotional, physical or sexual mistreatment that results in emotional damage or physical injury to a child or a youth. In most countries, children are considered to be anyone below 18 years of age. Child abuse can occur directly by harming a child or indirectly by failing to prevent the child from any form of harm or injury. Child abuse can occur either in the family set up, in the community set up or in an institution such as a school. Also, children can be abused by adults or by other children or by people who know them or people who are complete strangers to them.
Gillespie R `Childfree And Feminine: Understanding The Gender Identity Of Voluntary Childless Women' Gender And Society 1st February 2003, vol.17 no. 1 pp122-136