Motherhood Plans among Young Australian WomenWho Wants Children These Days?University of Queensland, Australia, c.lee{at}psy.uq.edu.au
University of Queensland, Australia Fertility rates in the developed world have been below replacement level for 25 years, and it is often assumed that this results from deliberate, unconstrained individual choice. Data from 7448 childless women aged 22 to 27, participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health, indicate that 9 per cent aspire to childlessness, with 72 per cent wanting 1 or 2 children and 19 per cent more. Differences in psychological functioning disappear after adjustment for socioeconomic variables. Women wanting 1 or 2 children also want paid work, while those wanting many children generally have traditional aspirations. Policy-makers need to consider strategies that support women to negotiate motherhood and paid work.
Key Words: childless children intentions motherhood women
Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 11, No. 1,
5-20 (2006) |
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