Adulthoods that do not involve parenthood are on the rise around the world, and yet the conversation that surrounds this shift lacks nuance. Sometimes it makes problematic assumptions and it can be insensitive to the diverse ways that adulthoods without parenthood are felt and experienced. A global upsurge of autobiographical practice on the topic has emerged in the last 10-15 years that has led the way in redressing this imbalance.
The aim of my current research is to explore and develop an understanding of how and why this autobiographical mobilization has occurred now, for whom and how it matters, and the significance of the new knowledge for key aspects of society (like health, ageing, workplace policy, housing and disaster planning).
In the project, I want to follow the autobiography – to understand how people came to open up on this topic; to explore how their practice circulated and impacted others; and to join the conversation.
My focus is on interviewing people who have 1) published a book that shares their life story or 2) set up an online community or 3) founded a podcast. The participants in the project will be able to choose whether to remain anonymous, or use their real name.
The research includes those who might self-identify as childless-not-by-choice, child-free, childless-by-circumstance, unexpectedly childfree. I encourage diverse perspectives across social class, gender, age, ethnicity and sexuality.
This research project has been granted ethical approval by the Lancaster University Faculty of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences and Lancaster University Management School Ethics Committee.