Page 11 - IJPS-7-2

International Journal of
Population Studies A theoretical review of childlessness

of having a child. Given that societal advances happened Table 1. Overview of the contexts, aspects, and theoretical
faster and on a larger scale in the labor market than in the approaches discussed that help explain the increasing levels
private sphere of the household, the cost of time and effort of childlessness
spent on children increased, which resulted in a reduction Contexts and Greater availability of contraceptive methods
in women’s fertility levels (Becker, 1960; Lee, 2015). It is Aspects
worth noting that this line of reasoning tends to fit even Greater involvement of women in the labor market
better among women with higher levels of education, who Increasing levels of education
choose to have fewer children, as the costs of giving up Globalization and digitalization
career and labor market opportunities are higher. Thus,
childlessness may be a likely consequence of the increasing Increasing cohabitation
economic costs of a child that end up outweighing the Increasing individualization
social-psychological benefits of childbearing (Tanturri Economic uncertainty and instability
et al., 2015).
Fertility postponement
The Uncertainty Theory, in turn, understands
that decision-makers, in this case, couples (or unique Lack of partner
individuals), adopt a risk minimization posture whenever Biological reasons (together with fertility
the economic, social, and personal context is uncertain. It postponement, and environmental reasons; despite
is possible to highlight three variations of uncertainty that the assisted reproductive technologies that work in the
opposite direction)
can affect couples’ decisions. The first of these variations,
and perhaps the most recurrent, is the economic one. Theoretical Second Demographic Transition
Approaches
Decision makers may understand that they find themselves Preference Theory
in a situation where their income earnings are not enough Rational Choice Theory
to support a child. Temporal uncertainty, on the other
hand, is centered more on the impossibility of engaging Uncertainty Theory
in something as complex and enduring as having a child. Gender Equity Theories
The third type of uncertainty, which is closely related to the Source: Author’s own elaboration
first one, understands that, when employment conditions
are somewhat precarious, there is the possibility of opting
for the continuous postponement of fertility or its denial 3. The relationship between childlessness
(Mills & Blossfeld, 2017; Tanturri et al., 2015). and important sociodemographic variables
Among others, gender approaches are also important This section aims to present the relationship between
in the debate about explanations for low fertility, and, childlessness and important sociodemographic variables
consequently, childlessness. According to these theories, (of greater recurrence in the literature) in low-fertility
very low levels of fertility are a product of the gap between societies, where the highest levels of childlessness are
gender equity in the public sphere (education and the found, and, therefore, for which there is also greater
labor market) and gender equity in the private sphere academic production.
(household) (Goldscheider et al., 2015; McDonald, 2000). Historically, the relationship between education
Moreover, as discussed so far, low levels of fertility are and childlessness is one that most interests scholars
accompanied by high levels of childlessness. According to (Burkimsher & Zeman, 2017). Childlessness is often
gender theories, greater equity in the private sphere, that is, shown to be positively associated with the woman’s
greater male participation in performing household tasks
would be necessary to increase fertility, which, in theory, educational level (Kreyenfeld & Konietzka, 2017), and the
main explanations often focus on the individual level. As
would decrease childlessness.
discussed in Section 2, the Rational Choice Theory argues
As presented throughout this whole Section that opportunity costs are higher for women with higher
(2.1 and 2.2), different social, economic, ideational, education. Therefore, it is expected that the increase in
cultural, biological and environmental factors contribute the level of education is associated with the increase in
(together or alone) to the increase (or decrease) of childlessness. There is also the argument that women
childlessness. Table 1 summarizes the contexts, aspects, become more economically and personally independent as
and theoretical approaches discussed in this section with they devote more time to education (Oppenheimer, 1994).
the aim of contributing to the development of a framework In this sense, women would be less likely to start a
focused on explaining childlessness. partnership, and, as discussed below, marital status is still

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2021) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.v7i2.352