Misconceiving the non-conceiving: How parents and child-free people account for people’s decisions not to have children

Donaghue, N. (2004) Misconceiving the non-conceiving: How parents and child-free people account for people’s decisions not to have children. In: Psychology of Women Section Annual Conference 2004, 7-9 July 2004, University of Brighton, UK

Abstract

In Australia, as in much of Western Europe, rapidly declining birthrates are producing political concerns about an ageing population. This emerging public debate about the need for a higher birthrate has the potential to politicise relations between parents and child-free people as their interests are increasingly produced as being in conflict. This paper will explore how Australian adults understand their own and others’ decisions about whether to have children, and how these understandings intersect with political judgements about the appropriate extent of public support for parenting, by analysing data from a series of focus groups with parents and intentionally child-free people. The paper will also examine how the accounts that child-free people give of their decisions are (not) reflected in the policy responses that are being advocated in Australia to increase the birthrate.

Item Type:	Conference Paper
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Psychology
Publisher:	British Psychological Society
Copyright:	British Psychological Society
Conference Website:	http://www.bps.org.uk/
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/26692

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