Birth Control: Is it OK to opt out on having children?
Editor's note: This post is part of a series by Dr. Baker on Our Values about core American values. This week Dr. Baker is discussing birth control in America.
The provision in the new healthcare law that mandates insurance coverage for contraception pushed birth control center stage. This week, we’ve discussed whether contraception is morally acceptable, how The Pill boosted women’s earnings, what the real polarizing issues are, and where birth control ranks in top election issues.
Now, let’s consider a question that lurks behind these issues: Is it acceptable for women to choose to not have children? Is the nostalgic ideal that everyone will become a parent — now fading in light of other choices men and women may make for their lives? Sex without conception is an outcome of birth control, and it enables women and men to decide whether to have children — at all.
About one in five women never bear children, according to statistics compiled by Pew. That’s a big change from the 1970s, when one in ten women ended childbearing years without a birth.
The trend toward childlessness occurs among all backgrounds of American women with few exceptions. As a group, for example, women with the highest levels of education still are the mostly likely to be childless — much moreso than women with very little education. That’s true even though, as a group, these most highly educated women are more likely to have children these days than they were in the early 1990s. (For this highest group, 23 percent were childless in the latest 2006-2008 reporting period, compared with 34 percent who were childless in 1992-1994.)
Overall, though, the trend is clear: Childlessness has become more acceptable in American society. A majority of American disagree that those without children “lead empty lives,” according to other data compiled by Pew. But attitudes about childlessness are mixed. And, there’s an active discussion out there on how we should interpret the decisions of women to not have children.
Do you agree that it's okay for women to not have children?
Is there a double standard for men and women?
What choices have you made?
Dr. Wayne E. Baker is a sociologist on the faculty of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Baker blogs daily at Our Values and can be reached at ourvaluesproject@gmail.com or on Facebook.
Comments
Sarah Rigg
Mon, Jun 11, 2012 : 12:59 p.m.
People who don't want children shouldn't have them. I believe that the job of raising children is a very important one that should not be undertaken lightly because "everybody's doing it." I have no interest in being a mediocre parent so I'm choosing not to be a parent at all. I don't appear to have a biological clock, though I believe other people who tell me they do.
Tom Smith
Sat, Jun 9, 2012 : 12:25 p.m.
Between AnnArbor.com, Yahoo News, and the conservative punditry, I'm beginning to suspect that people who write columns asking the community about their values are looking for some themselves. I'm glad I missed that article about whether contraception is morally acceptable, for I fear I would have yelled. And as to whether being child-free is "acceptable"? Dr. Baker, it is difficult think of a worse reason to have children than peer pressure.
EyeHeartA2
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 5:47 p.m.
"Do you agree that it's ok for women to not have children?" Don't feed the troll. Even if it comes in a "community contributor" mask.
John Hritz
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 5:02 p.m.
"Do you agree that it's ok for women to not have children?", is the wrong question. "Do you agree that woman have the right to decide how many children they will have and when?" is closer. Something that includes the relevant interests of the potential father ought to be in there. "Is there a double standard for men and women?", I have no idea what the point of this question could be. Fundamentally, only woman can bear children. I don't think that qualifies as a double-standard. I don't personally see a moral obligation to have children, but it is a strong drive for many.
Billy
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 4:04 p.m.
Here's the catch-22 of all this. The people that SHOULDN'T be having kids ARE having kids...at an alarming rate. And the people who SHOULD be having children.....aren't. Mike Judge....you were so right with Idiocracy. Well at least we'll have Brawndo....
kmgeb2000
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:24 p.m.
"Childlessness has become more acceptable in American society." Excuse me, but when was it unaccepable?
Robert Granville
Fri, Jun 8, 2012 : 3:17 p.m.
This can't be real life. An article asking whether or not its ok to not have kids? I must be hallucinating.