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'Unnatural', 'Unwomanly', 'Uncreditable' and 'Undervalued': the significance of being a childless woman in Australian society
journal contribution
posted on 2011-12-01, 00:00 authored by Stephanie Rich, Ann TaketAnn Taket, Melissa GrahamMelissa Graham, Julia ShelleyChildlessness is an increasing trend, internationally and in Australia. The few studies exploring the lived experiences of childless women have been conducted in America, Canada and the United Kingdom; predominantly during the 1980s and 1990s. The experiences of childless women in contemporary Australia remain under-researched. This hermeneutic phenomenological study sought to enhance understanding of the lived experience of being a childless woman in contemporary Australia. In-depth interviews with five childless women revealed five key themes as significant facets of the experiences of childless women: notions of ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’; woman = mother; childlessness as a discrediting attribute; feeling undervalued; and the significance of being childless. By privileging the experiences of childless women in a pronatalist society, it is apparent that misconceptions and stereotypes about childlessness continue to pervade. This study contributes to understanding this growing population group; highlighting that while childlessness is increasingly acknowledged, it is still not completely understood.
History
Journal
Gender issuesVolume
28Issue
4Pagination
226 - 247Publisher
Springer New York LLCLocation
New York, N.Y.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1098-092XLanguage
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2011, Springer Science+Business Media, LLCUsage metrics
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