Abstract:
In the literature on voluntary childlessness there is a lack of research on the types of
occupations held by women who choose not to mother and how their fertility choice
influences their occupational experiences. At the same time, the experience ofwomen
with regard to the childfree choice has not been adequately addressed in contemporary
feminist literature. In the field of education, much has been written about the association
between mothering and teaching. Thus, childfree teachers become particularly interesting
since they made seemingly paradoxical choices in that they chose not to bear and rear
children yet they chose an occupation in which they are surrounded by and responsible for
the daily care of many children. To gain an understanding of the work-related experiences
of childfree women, in-depth interviews were conducted with 7 voluntarily childless
female elementary school teachers from Southern Ontario. In addition, a focus group
interview in which 3 of the 7 childfree teachers participated was conducted. Findings
revealed that these women's "choice" to be childless was the result of complex
circumstances and multiple motivations. Also, despite their decision to forgo the
traditional female role of mother, these women held surprisingly conventional beliefs with
regard to family and gender roles. In addition, these childfree women at times identified
themselves as mother-like when teaching, yet at other times distanced themselves as
teachers from mothers. Finally, results showed that these women experienced both direct
and indirect pronatalist pressures outside as well as inside the workplace as a result of
their childfree status.
