The good parent: Emerging themes and gender convergence in narrating fertility choices

IF 1.8 3区社会学 Q2 FAMILY STUDIES

Family Relations Pub Date : 2025-04-14 DOI:10.1111/fare.13185

Alessandra Minello, Concetta Russo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

This study investigates the themes behind men's and women's ex-post narratives on fertility intentions and the fertility gap, analyzing reflections shared after fertility-related events or decisions.

Background

The lack of children stems from either a deliberate choice or the fertility gap, the discrepancy between intended and realized fertility. We explore the ex-post explanations behind the choice of not having a child and verify the convergence of themes between genders.

Method

Thematic qualitative analysis of 86 texts sent to an Italian newspaper by 38 men and 48 women categorized as parents, childless, or childfree explored themes related to fertility intentions and the fertility gap.

Results

Three main themes emerged: economic uncertainty and inefficient family policies, mistrust of the public health care system and fertility issues, and intensive parenting anxiety. These themes, albeit with some variations, are evident among both women and men, including those who are childfree and those experiencing a fertility gap.

Conclusions

The ex-post narratives of individual experiences in our sample tend to converge along gender lines, despite certain specificities.

Implications

Ex-post narratives offer crucial insights for research and policy. Themes such as economic stability, enhanced health care, and family support are often overlooked in both research and policy interventions, yet they are considered significant by segments of the population.

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好父母：讲述生育选择的新兴主题和性别趋同

目的探讨男性和女性在生育意向和生育差距的前后叙事背后的主题，分析生育相关事件或决定后的共同思考。缺乏子女的原因要么是故意的选择，要么是生育差距，即预期生育率与实际生育率之间的差距。我们探讨了选择不生孩子背后的事后解释，并验证了性别之间主题的趋同。方法对38名男性和48名女性寄给一家意大利报纸的86篇文章进行专题定性分析，探讨与生育意图和生育差距相关的主题。结果出现了三个主要主题：经济不确定性和低效的家庭政策，对公共卫生保健系统和生育问题的不信任，以及强烈的育儿焦虑。尽管有一些差异，但这些主题在女性和男性中都很明显，包括那些没有孩子的人和那些经历生育差距的人。在我们的样本中，个人经历的前后叙述倾向于沿性别线收敛，尽管有某些特殊性。事后叙述为研究和政策提供了重要的见解。在研究和政策干预中，诸如经济稳定、加强卫生保健和家庭支持等主题往往被忽视，但它们被部分人口认为具有重要意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Family Relations Multiple-

CiteScore

3.40

自引率

13.60%

发文量

164

期刊介绍： A premier, applied journal of family studies, Family Relations is mandatory reading for family scholars and all professionals who work with families, including: family practitioners, educators, marriage and family therapists, researchers, and social policy specialists. The journal"s content emphasizes family research with implications for intervention, education, and public policy, always publishing original, innovative and interdisciplinary works with specific recommendations for practice.