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I Kid You Not, I Am Asked a Question About Children at Least Once a Week": Exploring Differences in Childbearing Habitus in Pronatalist Fields

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I Kid You Not, I Am Asked a Question About Children at Least Once a Week University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2016 "I Kid You Not, I am Asked a Question about Children At Least Once a Week": Exploring Differences in Childbearing Habitus in Pronatalist Fields Alyssa Mullins University of Central Florida Part of the Sociology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Mullins, Alyssa, ""I Kid You Not, I am Asked a Question about Children At Least Once a Week": Exploring Differences in Childbearing Habitus in Pronatalist Fields" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 5107. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/5107 “I KID YOU NOT, I AM ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT CHILDREN AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK”: EXPLORING DIFFERENCES IN CHILDBEARING HABITUS IN PRONATALIST FIELDS by ALYSSA R. MULLINS B.A. University of Florida, 2010 M.A. University of Central Florida, 2013 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Sociology in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando Florida Summer Term 2016 Major Professor: Fernando Rivera ABSTRACT In the United States, childbearing remains part of the typical life course. However, evidence suggests that men and women, on average, are having fewer children and having them later in life. Additionally, public and academic outlets are increasingly acknowledging some adults’ decisions to intentionally forego childbearing completely, with an emphasis on the reasons why individuals choose to abstain from childbearing. However, further research is needed to identify the ways in which voluntarily childless adults actively negotiate the social world among structural influences that simultaneously values parenthood and place complex burdens on parents. Utilizing the Bourdieuian concepts of habitus, capital, and field, the present study contributes to a shift in the conversation from “why” individuals remain childless toward an understanding of “how” childbearing preferences impact individuals’ lives in practice. This research compares experiences and characteristics of non-parents in relation to childbearing preferences. In particular, this research suggests measures to identify deeply rooted childbearing habitus, the relationship between access to various forms of capital and the habitus, and explores how this identity relates to experiences in various social fields. The Bourdieuian perspective poses that individuals’ access to capital simultaneously shapes and is shaped by the habitus. Similarly, habitus and capital both shape and are shaped by experiences in various social arenas. Thus the research presented here consists of an exploratory analysis finding support for the use of the concepts associated with this theoretical framework, in order to encourage future research to establish a more complete understanding of the decision (not) to become a parent. ii The current study includes a sample of 972 childless men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 years old. Purposive sampling techniques were used to oversample voluntarily childless adults (n=573) to be compared to adults that intend to have children in the future (n=399). Respondents completed an online questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions addressing personality traits and motivations for childbearing preferences, as well as the structural and interactional impact of these preferences – including measures of social support, cultural norms, and economic resources. In utilizing Bourdieuian concepts of habitus and field as they relate to the complex interplay between individual agency and external structures, this study offers a more comprehensive grasp of the complex reasons for and experiences of a voluntarily childless lifestyle. This shift in emphasis also suggests contributions to a greater understanding of the perceived impact of structural forces, including the health care industry’s gatekeeping of reproductive technologies and the work/family life balance in relation to voluntary childlessness as well as broader decisions or processes of becoming a parent, by identifying the similarities and differences between groups. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my committee, including my chair Dr. Fernando Rivera, as well as Drs. Shannon Carter, Jana Jasinski, and Julia McQuillan. You have all been instrumental in my success – helping me turn an interesting idea into something tangible (and reining me in when my ideas got too lofty or scattered), challenging me to produce the best product I can, and providing immeasurable wisdom and inspiration along the way. I strive to be as passionate, caring, dedicated, and knowledgeable in my professional pursuits as each of you are in your own areas of research, and thank you all for giving me your time and expertise during the past year. Next, I would like to thank my cohort and friends in the Sociology department – Abigail, Jenny, Sara, Nicole, Lauren, and the rest of you – without whom I don’t know if I would have believed in myself enough to get through the thick of this PhD program. Getting to know each of you professionally and personally has made the last few years much more enjoyable and worthwhile. I have enjoyed learning from each of you, celebrating the milestones (whether small or large), and commiserating in the confusion and difficulties that have come our way. Even though we are all on different paths now, this shared experience will continue to bind us together in friendship. Also, thank you to my friends and family members that have provided support along the way. From the times you all encouraged me to take breaks and have a life outside of school to understanding the many times I had to disappear to get work done, I appreciate you all being a part of my life. Furthermore, to my family and of course my best friend Christa, who have believed in my abilities and acted as my cheerleaders the longest. Between calling me “Dr. Mullins” long before the end of the tunnel was near, iv reminding me how exciting and special each of my milestones were along the way (even when I was too focused on feeling like I should have done more), or providing the subtle motivations and encouragements by just being your strong and loving selves, I could not have done this without you. Next, I would like to thank my partner, Zachariah. You came into my life at a time I needed it the most. Your curiosity and excitement about my program and research reinvigorated a passion and a drive in me that was almost forgotten, and continues to encourage me to know more about these issues so I can answer the detailed questions you have with an answer better than “I don’t know, I only read the headline…” I appreciate the ways we’re different, and how you continue to help me become more confident and try new things, and I appreciate our shared interests and passions, making it fun to nerd out about social issues and current events – whether or not we have similar explanations for the causes/solutions for these problems. Also, thank you to all of those that participated in my survey. I was overjoyed and overwhelmed by the number of responses received in such a short time, as well as the compliments and suggestions provided in the online forums regarding the topic and survey design. Thank you all for taking the time to make this project possible. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ viii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................. 9 The Social Construction of Childbearing and Childhood .............................................. 9 Structural contributions and consequences of the decision (not) to become a parent 12 Reasons for Choosing Childlessness ........................................................................ 22 Prevalence and Demographics of Childlessness ....................................................... 25 Experiences of Childlessness .................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .............................................................. 34 Pierre Bourdieu: Habitus, Capital, and Field .............................................................. 34 Methodological Approach .......................................................................................... 43 The Current Study ...................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER 4: METHODS .............................................................................................. 49 Sample and Design .................................................................................................... 49 Analyses .................................................................................................................... 53 Variables
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