Childfree across the Disciplines: Academic and Activist Perspectives on Not Choosing Children

The article discusses the growing number of people who choose to remain childfree, challenging traditional notions of procreation and hetero-normative ideologies. The collection explores (mis)perceptions about childfree people in media representations, demographics, historical documents, and psychological and philosophical models. It includes foundational pieces from established experts and activist manifestos, as well as original scholarly work, to demonstrate the potential of the childfree choice in the 21st century.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 236 pages
Publication date: 15 April 2022
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

The recent emergence of childfree individuals in mainstream media has garnered significant attention. Over seven percent of Western women have chosen to remain childfree, a trend that is on the rise. This choice challenges the deeply entrenched "procreation imperative" that lies at the core of our hetero-normative understanding, occupying an uneasy position in relation to both traditional academic ideologies and prevalent social norms. As Adi Avivi rightly points out, if a woman does not become a mother, the patriarchal social order faces a threat. This collection delves into these (mis)perceptions about childfree individuals, examining their representation in media, demographics, historical documents, and psychological and philosophical models. Foundational pieces from esteemed experts on the childfree choice, including Rhonny Dam, Laurie Lisle, Christopher Clausen, and Berenice Fisher, are presented alongside both activist manifestos and original scholarly work, all meticulously compiled. Academics and activists from diverse disciplines and movements also engage with the childfree life, exploring its implications, challenges, conversations, and agency in the context of its inevitability in the 21st century.

Childfree across the Disciplines takes a bold stance in advocating for the subversive potential of the childfree choice, offering readers a profound understanding of childfreedom as a sense of ongoing potential in who or what a person can become. By examining these multifaceted perspectives, the collection encourages individuals to reevaluate their assumptions and embrace the diversity of life choices available to them.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978823082