The main goal of this study is to discover whether there is a significant difference between childless individuals and parents based on their social contact and support received in old age. Firstly, the theoretical background is introduced. The demographical development of childlessness in the Czech Republic is then analyzed while also mentioning the limitations of the data sources that we face. Childlessness is then put into the context of possible social isolation, a lack of support in the household or in receiving personal care in old age. It was proven that with increasing age the frequency of social contact with friends decreases, however, this does not apply to contact with family members. Using data from SHARE research we have proved that the childless elderly are more intensively socially active than parents. However, in financial transfers parents give more and especially to their children, whereas the childless invest in a broader range of family and nonfamily circles. There was no significant difference in receiving personal care or practical help in the household between parents and the childless, although differences were shown based on age, health, gender, education and the marital status of respondents. The most common people who provide personal care or practical help in the household (even...

Ce mémoire est une étude exploratoire sur les parcours de vie de femmes sans enfant nées entre 1930 et 1950. Afin de vérifier si elles avaient vécu des pressions pour se conformer à la norme de la maternité, et quels avaient été les impacts de leur statut sur leur vie, dix-huit récits de vie ont été récoltés auprès d'autant de Québécoises franco-catholiques, mariées ou non. Les récits des participantes, dont la moitié était sans enfant par choix et l'autre par circonstances de la vie, ont montré qu'elles ne correspondaient pas au stéréotype voulant que ces femmes se soient sacrifiées pour prendre soin de leur famille. Au contraire, la plupart d'entre elles ont choisi de ne pas avoir d'enfants, ou ont fait des choix les ayant menées vers la non-maternité, par exemple en repoussant le mariage afin de poursuivre leurs études ou travailler. Les récits récoltés montrent aussi que contrairement aux femmes des générations subséquentes, les participantes n'ont que très rarement vécu de pressions pour se marier ou avoir des enfants, et bénéficiaient au contraire d'une grande acceptabilité sociale. Finalement, les entrevues ont permis de constater que si les participantes étaient généralement heureuses de leurs parcours, la vieillesse et la perte d'autonomie étaient parfois à la source de regrets.

Declining birth rate in Japan has been acknowledged as a demographic crisis since the 1970s. Higher education and better jobs has given women freedom and alternatives to starting a family, and some say the value of marriage and children has decreased overall. This study explored attitudes towards childlessness on Japanese Internet forums in order to understand why Japan, a country with continually persistent and conservative gender roles, can experience such a drastic population decline. Especially since this phenomenon seems paradoxical in relation to women’s traditional roles in society. This paper has explored how people spoke about childlessness and two major discourses emerged. The attitudes were categorized into a modern versus a traditional discourse on childlessness. Money, conservative gender roles and relationships were identified as important reasons affecting the decision to have children or not. However, only money seemed as a rationale behind childlessness accepted in both discourses.

Av de människor i fertil ålder som bor tillsammans och/eller är gifta, har 10-15 procent infertilitetsproblematik. Tidigare studier visar att ofrivillig barnlöshet kan leda till en livskris. Det finns olika orsaker till ofrivillig barnlöshet hos man respektive kvinna och behandling utgår ifrån orsaken. Ett besked om ofrivillig barnlöshet kan innebära stora förändringar i en parrelation och syftet med studien är att belysa pars upplevelser av att vara ofrivilligt barnlös. Författarna valde att använda kvalitativ innehållsanalys, genom att studera självbiografer, med anledning av att upplevelser är subjektiva och författarna ville komma så nära verkligheten som möjligt. Att vara ofrivilligt barnlös kunde visa sig genom sorg och en förlust av någonting de önskade högt. Studien av självbiografierna visade att väntan var den största påfrestningen. Men också en otillräcklighet och ifrågasättande av kärlek till varandra kunde urskiljas. Författarna till studien har av resultatet fått mer kunskap om hur upplevelser av ofrivilig barnlöshet kan gestalta sig. / Program: Sjuksköterskeutbildning

Infertilitet beskrivs som en sjukdom i de reproduktiva organen där graviditet efter tolv månader eller mer med oskyddat samlag misslyckats. Infertiliteten drabbar cirka 10-15 procent av världens befolkning. Den allmänna sjuksköterskans roll blir aktuell på fertilitetskliniker där hen möter par som genomgår utredning eller behandling för infertilitet. Sjuksköterskans roll handlar i stort om att ge stöd, samtala och informera. Behandling av infertilitet kan ges i form av exempelvis inseminering eller provrörsbefruktning. Om behandlingen inte skulle resultera i biologiska barn finns adoption som alternativ för att få barn / Infertility is described as a disease in the reproductive organs where pregnancy after twelve months or more with unprotected intercourse failed. Infertility affects about 10-15 percent of the world's population. The role of the nurse becomes relevant at the fertility clinic where they meet infertile couples who are undergoing investigation or treatment. The role of the nurse is largely about providing support, dialog and information. Treatment of infertility can be given in the form of, for example, insemination or test tube fertilization. If treatment would not result in a biological child, adoption can be a alternative to having a biological child.

The mental-health consequences of childlessness have been well documented and the perception is that women are more likely than men to experience lower mental well-being, including emotional distress, as a result of childlessness; despite the fact that very few studies have focused on the implications for men. Thus, employing OLS multiple regression we seek to examine: (1) the association between childlessness and emotional distress and whether the risk was greater among men or women. (2) Whether there is significant variation in emotional distress among childless individuals after controlling for socio-demographic factors. The data was derived from the Estonian Health Interview Survey, collected in 2006 and 2007. The survey was a multi-stage random sample of the Estonian Population aged 15-85. Under study was men and women aged 40 and above (N=4294).The outcome variable- emotional distress is based on the emotional state questionnaire (EST-Q), a self-rated health measure. The simple regression and multivariate OLS regressions indicated higher predicted levels of emotional distress symptoms for childless men when compared to childless women. In comparison, the interactions revealed more distress among childless women. Overall, the results garnered indicate that educational attainment and personal income ameliorates the negative mental health consequences of childlessness. However, the degree and manner in which childlessness matter differ by gender, ethnicity and relationship status, but was inconclusive for age. An unexpected finding from the interaction models was the high level of distress among women that were parents. In general, the outcomes point to other reasons for the higher levels of distress among women. The mental-health consequences of childlessness have been well documented and the perception is that women are more likely than men to experience lower mental well-being, including emotional distress, as a result of childlessness; despite the fact that very few studies have focused on the implications for men. Thus, employing OLS multiple regression we seek to examine: (1) the association between childlessness and emotional distress and whether the risk was greater among men or women. (2) Whether there is significant variation in emotional distress among childless individuals after controlling for socio-demographic factors. The data was derived from the Estonian Health Interview Survey, collected in 2006 and 2007. The survey was a multi-stage random sample of the Estonian Population aged 15-85. Under study was men and women aged 40 and above (N=4294).The outcome variable- emotional distress is based on the emotional state questionnaire (EST-Q), a self-rated health measure. The simple regression and multivariate OLS regressions indicated higher predicted levels of emotional distress symptoms for childless men when compared to childless women. In comparison, the interactions revealed more distress among childless women. Overall, the results garnered indicate that educational attainment and personal income ameliorates the negative mental health consequences of childlessness. However, the degree and manner in which childlessness matter differ by gender, ethnicity and relationship status, but was inconclusive for age. An unexpected finding from the interaction models was the high level of distress among women that were parents. In general, the outcomes point to other reasons for the higher levels of distress among women.

Bakgrund: Enligt Socialstyrelsen drabbar ofrivillig barnlöshet omkring 10-15 % av alla par i Sverige. Vanliga orsaker till infertilitet kan vara skador på äggledarna eller för lågt antal spermier.  Kvinnor och män kan reagera olika på beskedet kring infertilitet. Det är viktigt som sjuksköterska att ha förståelse för hur kvinnor och män upplever problemet. Syfte: Att belysa kvinnor och mäns upplevelser av ofrivillig barnlöshet. Metod: I litteraturstudien har nio kvalitativa artiklar granskats och analyserats. Artiklarna valdes ut ifrån databaserna CINAHL och PubMed. Resultat: Resultatet delades in i sju kategorier: meningen med livet, att längta efter barn, att känna utanförskap, att känna förändringar i förhållandet, att stötta och känna stöd och att gå vidare i livet utan barn. Slutsats: Litteraturstudiens resultat visade på både likheter och skillnader bland kvinnor och mäns upplevelser av infertilitet. Längtan efter föräldraskap, en social press att skaffa barn och känslan av utanförskap var vanligt. Det är viktigt som sjuksköterska att ha förståelse och kunskap om individers upplevelser och att de kan skilja sig åt. Det finns ett behov av fortsatt forskning inom ämnet. / Background: According to Socialstyrelsen 10-15 % of all couples in Sweden is affected by involuntary childlessness. Common causes of infertility can be injuries on the fallopian tube or a low sperm count. Women and men can react differently to the information about the infertility. As a nurse it is important to have an understanding about how women and men perceive this problem. Aim: To illustrate the lived experience of involuntary childlessness among women and men. Method: In this literature study nine qualitative studies have been compiled and analyzed. The articles were chosen from CINAHL and PubMed data bases. Result: The result was sorted in seven categories: the meaning of life, to be longing for children, to feel exclusion, to feel changes in the relationship, to support and to feel supported and to carry on life without children. Conclusion: The result of the literature study indicated similarities and differences in the lived experience of infertility among women and men. Desire for parenthood, a social pressure to conceive a child and feelings of alienation was commonly mentioned. As a nurse, it is important to have an understanding and knowledge about how the experience of infertility can differ among individuals. Further research on the subject is needed.

The incidence of unintentional childlessness in women who have, as popular comment puts it, 'left it too late', is rising markedly in many western nations, yet the experience is not well understood. This thesis focuses on issues of fantasy, loss, and grieving in the experience of 26 New Zealand women in their 30s and 40s who are what Cannold (2005) has termed 'circumstantially childless'; that is women who expected to have children but find themselves at the end of their natural fertility without having done so for - at least initially - social rather than biological reasons. I explore the conscious and unconscious dimensions of the fantasies that many of the women interviewed have about themselves as mothers in relation to a child or children. I argue that these fantasies have their origins in these women's trans-subjective relationship with their mothers before birth, the intersubjective relationship after birth, and the mutual overlapping of their unique psychobiography and the social worlds in which they have become adults. Circumstantial childlessness entails a loss of the potential to embody their fantasies about themselves as mothers. The thesis uses psychoanalytic and contemporary grief theories to explore their experience of loss and grieving, and their adaptation of their fantasies when the potential to embody them has passed. It calls for a reconceptualization of maternal subjectivity to encompass the creative and satisfying alternative ways that women who do not have children embody 'mother' in their lives. The study's psychoanalytically-informed psychosocial methodology entailed the innovative use of participant-produced drawings, and the development of a method of recording protocols - based on Bollas'(2007) notion of a symphonic score - to systematically record non-linguistic elements of the texts (such as sighs, hesitations, laughter, repetitions, and tears) across the range of the semi-structured individual and group interview transcripts. In this respect, the thesis contributes to investigations of social life that move beyond the limits of conventional text-based methods of inquiry and interpretation.

In this dissertation, I examine the constructions, maintenance, and resistance to dominant discourses concerning motherhood and non-motherhood in contemporary Hungary, using the popular Hungarian women’s magazine Nők Lapja as my key illustrative example. I strive to illuminate how gendered discourses, bio-power, history, and geo-politics are implicated not only in the construction of nationhood but also in defining women’s roles in nation-building. I hope to contribute to research that helps to better understand women’s contemporary social roles in Hungary, and the power relations that construct them. I argue that ideas regarding motherhood and non-motherhood in Hungary are often bound up in ideas concerning who should, or should not, have children, and why, and I explore in detail how these ideas have formed through the history of the nation. My analysis reveals different sites of power—focusing on policy and print media—that seek to determine women’s procreative decisions. I argue that, under various regimes, women’s procreative choices have consistently been systemically constrained, and framed as key to the nation’s success—or failure. Concerning Nők Lapja magazine, my research reveals that it both supports and resists traditional gender roles, at times contributing to discourses that naturalize childbearing and motherhood (also defining for readers whose motherhood is deemed desirable), but at other times disputing such ideas and redefining conceptions of womanhood to include women without children. Although ultimately the magazine pathologizes, disbelieves and negates the choice to be childless, Nők Lapja does resist and redefine limited definitions of womanhood and motherhood by carving out a small space for discussions of childlessness, and also by challenging conceptions of singletons as necessarily lonely and mothers as necessarily better if they stay at home.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Haifa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references and index.