The social phenomenon that has become the topic of this article has been developing in Russia and other CIS countries since the late 90s - early 2000s. It has an ambiguous assessment among people who are new to this philosophy. In many ways, conflicting and sometimes sharply negative perceptions are associated, as is often the case, with a lack of information. It's about the concept of childfree. What is it, when and how did it appear, what goals does this social movement pursue? And, most importantly, how does it affect the rest of society? In the article we will answer all these questions and debunk myths.
History of the phenomenon
Childfree ("childfree") in Russian means "free from children." This trend originated in the 1970s in the United States in the process of mass protests for rights, freedoms and equality. Thus was created the National Organization of Non-Parents (NON), whose origins were two members of the feminist movement, Ellen Peck and Shirley Radle. The purpose of the organization’s activity was to convey to the conservatively minded society the idea that a woman has the right not to give birth to children if she does not want to.
This statement made a significant change in public consciousness, because before that it was believed that a conscious refusal to procreate means the presence of ailments of a physical or psychological nature. The bold statement of the two activists gave confidence to other women who felt the same, but did not dare to say out loud. The NON organization quickly became popular, and in the 1980s transformed into a childfree movement. But while in the United States adherents of a childless lifestyle are often engaged in active social activities and participate in political actions, then in the post-Soviet space this social movement is in the nature of an interest club.
FAQ
Among people who do not belong to this phenomenon and do not have such friends, there are many misunderstandings and even myths about childfree.
“What is the matter with them? How can you not want to have at least one child? ”
It is necessary to recall here that procreation is not a duty, and reluctance to do this does not characterize a person in any negative way. On the contrary, it speaks of honesty with oneself and responsibility for the future. Having children is worth it when there really is a desire and opportunity to raise a small person.
“This is a deliberate abandonment of motherhood or fatherhood, which means childfree hate children?”
Not at all like that. In general, the attitude towards the young generation in such adults extends from good-naturedly neutral to indifferent. Many voluntarily childless people are happy to spend time with their nephews and nieces, children of friends, etc. Many convinced childfree successfully realize themselves in the pedagogical sphere. It is worth noting that the “free from children” are very intolerant of active attempts to impose a different lifestyle on them.
“Childhate and childfree - what is it? The same or different? ”
Confusing these completely different phenomena, people come to the erroneous opinion that voluntary childlessness is the result of burning hostility towards the younger generation. While “childfree” means “free from children”, “childhate” translates to “child haters.” It is not necessary to know and use the terms-Anglicisms to understand how these two phenomena are far from each other. The first group of people calmly refers to strange children, but prefers not to have their own. The second group experiences a persistent negative feeling towards small people, which can manifest itself even in aggression. It is noteworthy and sad at the same time that haters of children are far from always childless. Cases of psychological or physical violence in the family are often associated with the fact that the parent, for various reasons, manifests itself as a childheater.
Psychologists opinions
Among specialists in the human inner life there is no unequivocal opinion about voluntary childlessness. Trying to understand what childfree means as a socio-psychological phenomenon, practicing psychologists identify the following possible reasons for this choice:
1. Negative experiences in their own childhood.
According to this logic, the reason for joining the ranks of childfree is the fear (conscious or latent) of repeating the model of parenting that a person suffered from as a child.
2. Selfishness and infantilism.
In this case, a voluntary childlessness is chosen by a person about whom it is customary to say “eternal child”. Such orientation is primarily focused on one's own interests, as well as hedonism - the desire to receive maximum pleasure from life. It follows that these people do not feel within themselves the strength to show that great responsibility, care, tolerance and dedication that are necessary for future mothers and fathers.
3. The desire to achieve professional heights.
This group is made up of childfree, whose occupation is related to business, art, sports, science and other areas requiring great dedication. In such conditions, a person has neither time, nor opportunity, nor even just a need to deal with the birth and education of offspring. After all, combining your favorite work and full parenting is almost impossible task, especially in the Russian realities.
4. The pressure of conservative forces in society.
Another point of view on the phenomenon of childfree is its consideration as a response to public policy, which calls for giving birth as much as possible and improving the demographic situation. Of course, in this case, the choice of childlessness is subconscious - a peculiar reaction of the psyche to excessive psychological pressure.
Now consider the reasons for joining the ranks of voluntarily childless, based on gender differences.
Women and men childfree
What is this social movement that attracts both sexes?
Studies show that women are usually driven by a desire to realize themselves in a professional way and devote more time to self-development. Indeed, having a small child in your arms makes it difficult to build a career, and during even a short maternity leave, you can lose your dream job. In addition, raising a child, especially in the early years of his life, leaves little time and opportunity for travel, study and just reading books.
As for men, they choose a childfree lifestyle, often guided by opposite reasons than women. The main argument for the male is the reluctance to shoulder the financial burden, which inevitably arises at the birth and further education of the child. Childfree men want more independence and less commitment, as well as opportunities to be lazy or travel sometimes, without being bound by the need to feed the family.
Other arguments voluntarily childless people of both sexes are called: the danger of childbirth for health, deterioration in marriage and violation of the intimate life of parents after the birth of a child.
In general, the ideal pair for any childfree is a partner with exactly the same beliefs. In this case, it will be possible to build a more harmonious relationship, devoid of doubt or mistrust in such an important issue as childbearing.
Free and famous
Voluntary refusal to raise children is a fairly broad phenomenon, but in general such people make up only 1-2 percent in society. This number includes celebrities who have chosen the lifestyle of freefree celebrities. Among them: one of the first communists and women's rights activists Klara Zetkin, film and serial actresses Renee Zellweger, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Cattrall and Eva Mendes, television presenters Oprah Winfrey and Ksenia Sobchak, singer Kylie Minogue.
Of the convinced childless men, the most famous actors are George Clooney and Christopher Walken.
Communication for childfree
Acquaintances of people who choose voluntary childlessness in our advanced time take place on various Internet sites. There are relevant forums, diary communities, groups, public, etc. On such web resources you can chat with like-minded people, ask a question, pour your soul, and also find a couple with a close worldview.
Forums
A very popular forum is Planet Childfree. Here, users share their sore point, discuss life stories, joke on a variety of topics (not only related to the childfree philosophy), receive and disseminate useful information - in general, they feel comfortable. The “Childfree Planet" forum is, in a sense, an outlet for those people who in everyday life are surrounded not by like-minded people in matters of childbearing, but, on the contrary, "ideological opponents" who show a lack of understanding or tactlessness in communication.
Social networks
The highly developed and informatively filled childfree community is located in LiveJournal. At one time, it was the first platform in Runet for communication between people who choose voluntary childlessness.
The most popular Russian social network also has public pages and childfree focus groups. One of the most popular is called "Childfree in Russian." VKontakte unites users from many cities and countries, giving you the opportunity to communicate on relevant topics in real time. In addition to groups, there are public anonymous opinions, such as "Overheard childfree." Another noteworthy phenomenon is the community in social networks focused on married / long-term people. Here you can discuss the features of family life without children, and also ask for advice in cases of misunderstanding with a partner on this issue. In general, diverse social interaction is what the members of the Childfree in Russian group and other similar communities on the Internet do.
