Abstract
The article focuses on findings that were replicated across several countries
and considers their relevance for future older adults. Key findings are that
(a) childlessness makes more of a difference in men’s than in women’s lives,
(b) never-married women are a childless category with particularly favorable
characteristics, and (c) childless people face support deficits only toward the
end of life. In future cohorts, the authors expect to see (a) clearer contrasts
between childless men and fathers, given indications that men are being more
strongly selected into parenthood; (b) diminished differences between childless
women and mothers, given the improved conditions for combining work
and care; (c) fewer differences in reliance on formal support between older
people with and without children, given the increased levels of education and
material resources; and (d) that involuntary childlessness will be all the more
distressing, given that a chosen life path has been blocked.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1518 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | Journal of Family Issues |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2007 |
Keywords
- parenthood
- selection into fatherhood
- gender
- childlessness
- future older adults