For many centuries it was believed that a woman can express herself only in motherhood. Marriage suggested that the wife would certainly become a mother. The man had to grow his son to confidently say that life was a success. How many stereotypes and prejudices existed about those who cannot or do not want to have children, and what has changed in our time?
The 21st century became the era of the struggle for the rights of those who were traditionally humiliated, insulted, sought to isolate or even destroy physically. “And I want to say my word in defense of people who have abandoned the role of parents, choosing other goals and paths for themselves,” writes psychologist Bella de Paulo.
She turns to one of the most famous works devoted to childlessness – the book by historian Rachel Chrostl “How to be childless: the history and philosophy of life without children”, in which the phenomenon of childlessness and attitude towards him in society are widely covered. What has changed, how has changed, and what has remained as before over the past 500 years?
Childless or Childfrey?
First you need to decide on the terms. The term “unborn” Charstil considers the term “unbroken” doctors, all the more so since he cannot relate to men who do not have children. The term “Childfri”, that is, “free from children”, in her opinion, is too aggressively colored.
She prefers to use in relation to people who do not want to have children, the term “childless”. Although this word indicates a lack of something, the lack of something, and she does not consider the absence of children a problem.
“I call the childless those who have no children – neither family nor adopted,” explains Chrastil. “And those who never took part in raising a child and never took on the responsibilities of custody”.
He chrast he himself is childless – not because he could not become a mother, but because she never wanted. She shares the facts about how over the past 500 years the attitude to childless people and to childless.
Childlessness – anomaly or norm?
1. Childlessness is by no means a new phenomenon
Infinity was widespread in the cities of Northern Europe from about the 16th century. Baby-boom was considered an anomaly, lasted about 20 years, and then childlessness returned, even more “outrageous” and widely discussed than before. The phenomenon of childless childbirth: it is present in all cultures, and at different times and in different places they were treated differently.
2. The highest number of childless women were noted among those born in 1900
24% of them never had children. Among those who were born later for 50 years, between 1950 and 1954, only 17% of women aged 45 have never gave birth.
3. In 1900, women gave birth to two times less children than in 1800
For example, in 1800 in one family,
seven children appeared on average, and in 1900 from three to four.