Gönüllü Çocuksuzluk: Çocuk Sahibi Olmama Kararının Altında Yatan Faktörler ve Karşılaşılan Tepkiler Hakkında Bir Derleme

Abstract

Although having children is seen as one of the most important functions of adult romantic relationships (e.g., marriage) and it is a common norm followed by married couples, birth rates both around the world and in Turkey have steadily declined over the past years. Some childless individuals have decided to remain childfree of their own volition and not due to external factors that lie outside of their control, such as infertility. This voluntary childlessness, which is becoming more and more prevalent around the world, not only has very important psychological consequences for individuals but will also have a significant sociological and demographic impact on societies. Building on the increasing importance of voluntary childlessness for both the individual and society, the present review systematically examines the studies that have investigated the reasons and consequences of the decision to remain childfree and introduce the issues to the Turkish literature. The first part of the review focuses on the individual and societal factors that can predict voluntary childlessness and examines the motivations that inform the decision mechanism. Second, studies investigating the negative stereotypes and societal pressures faced by people who decide to remain childfree and the coping strategies they adopt are reviewed. The results of the studies reviewed indicate that although individuals who consciously decide to remain childless demonstrate a degree of similarity in certain demographic characteristics, their reasons for their decision and the way they live with their choice show significant variation. In addition, although individuals who are voluntarily childless face serious stigma and societal pressure, they do not report any differences in life satisfaction and mental health to individuals who become parents. Also, contrary to common belief, childfree individuals do not regret their decision. At the end of the review, avenues for future research into voluntary childlessness are discussed, and methodological issues that need attention are underlined.