The social phenomenon that has become the subject 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 little familiar with this philosophy. A largely contradictory and sometimes sharply negative perception is associated, as often happens, with a lack of information. We are talking 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 this 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), which was founded by two members of the feminist movement, Ellen Peck and Shirley Rudl. The purpose of the organization's activity was to convey to the conservative 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 the public consciousness, because before that it was believed that the conscious refusal to procreate means the presencephysical or psychological ailments. The bold statement of the two activists gave confidence to other women who felt the same but did not dare to say it out loud. The HON organization quickly became popular, and in the 1980s it was transformed into the childfree movement. But if 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 has the character of an interest club.
FAQ
Among people who do not relate to this phenomenon and do not have such acquaintances, there is a lot of misunderstanding and even myths about childfree.
What's wrong with them? How can you not want to have at least one child?”
Here it is necessary to recall that procreation is not an obligation, and the unwillingness to do this does not in any way characterize a person from the negative side. On the contrary, it speaks of honesty with oneself and responsibility for the future. Having children is worth it when you really have the desire and opportunity to raise a little person.
"This is a deliberate rejection of motherhood or fatherhood, which means childfree hate children?"
Not at all. In general, the attitude towards the younger generation among such adults ranges from good-naturedly neutral to indifferent. Many voluntarily childless people enjoy spending time with their nephews and nieces, children of friends, etc. Many convinced childfree people successfully realize themselves in the pedagogical field. It is only worth noting that"free from children" are very intolerant of active attempts to impose a different lifestyle on them.
Childhait and childfree - what is it? Same or different?”
By confusing these completely different phenomena, people come to the erroneous opinion that voluntary childlessness is the result of a burning dislike for the younger generation. While "childfree" means "free from children", "childhait" translates as "deton-haters". It is not necessary to know and use Anglicism terms to understand how far these two phenomena are from each other. The first group of people are calm about other people's children, but prefer 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 remarkable and at the same time sad that haters of children are not always childless. Cases of psychological or physical violence in the family are often associated with the fact that the parent, for various reasons, manifests himself as a childhater.
Psychologists' opinions
Among experts on the inner life of a person 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 your own childhood.
According to this logic, the reason for joining the ranks of childfree is the fear (conscious or implicit) of repeating the model of parenting from which a personsuffered as a child himself.
2. Selfishness and infantilism.
In this case, voluntary childlessness is chosen by a person about whom it is customary to speak of an “eternal child”. These are characterized by focusing primarily on their own interests, as well as hedonism - the desire to get the most out of life. From which it follows that these people do not feel the strength to show that great responsibility, care, tolerance and dedication that future mothers and fathers need.
3. The desire to reach professional heights.
This group is made up of childfree whose occupation is related to business, art, sports, science and other areas that require great dedication. Under such conditions, a person has neither the time, nor the opportunity, nor even just the need to be engaged in the birth and upbringing of offspring. After all, to combine your favorite work and the full-fledged upbringing of children is an almost impossible task, especially in Russian realities.
4. The pressure of conservative forces in society.
Another point of view on the phenomenon of childfree is considering it as a response to public policy calling for more children and improving the demographic situation. Of course, in this case, the choice of childlessness is subconscious - a kind of reaction of the psyche to excessive psychological pressure.
Now consider the reasons for joining the ranks of the voluntarily childless, based on gender differences.
Childfree women and men
What isIs there a social movement that attracts both sexes?
According to research, women are usually driven by the desire to realize themselves professionally and devote more time to self-development. Indeed, having a small child in your arms, it is 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 first years of life, leaves little time and opportunities for traveling, studying and just reading books.
As for men, they choose the childfree lifestyle, often guided by opposite reasons than women. The main argument for the male is the reluctance to take on the financial burden that inevitably arises at the birth and further upbringing of the child. Childfree men want to have more independence and fewer obligations, as well as the opportunity to occasionally be lazy or travel without being bound by the need to feed a family.
Other reasons for voluntarily childless people of both sexes are: the danger of childbirth for he alth, the deterioration of marital relations and the violation of the intimate life of parents after the birth of a child.
In general, the ideal couple 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 distrust in such an important issue as childbearing.
Free and famous
Voluntaryrefusal to raise children is a fairly wide phenomenon, but in general such people make up only 1-2 percent in society. This number also includes celebrities who have chosen the childfree lifestyle. Among them: one of the first communists and fighters for women's rights Clara Zetkin, film and serial actresses Renee Zellweger, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Cattrall and Eva Mendes, TV 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
Dating people who have chosen voluntary childlessness, in our advanced time, take place on various Internet sites. There are corresponding forums, diary communities, groups, publics, etc. On such web resources, you can chat with like-minded people, ask a question, pour out your soul, and also find a mate with a similar worldview.
Forums
Childfree Planet is a very popular forum. Here, users share their sore points, discuss life stories, joke on various topics (not only related to the childfree philosophy), receive and distribute 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, by “ideological opponents” who show misunderstanding or tactlessness in communication.
Social networks
Very developed and informativeThe childfree community is located in LiveJournal. At one time, it was the first platform in Runet for communication between people choosing voluntary childlessness.
The most popular Russian social network also has public pages and childfree groups. One of the most popular is called "Childfree in Russian". VKontakte unites users from many cities and countries, making it possible to communicate on current topics in real time. In addition to groups, there are public anonymous opinions, for example, "Overheard childfree." Another notable phenomenon is social media communities targeted at married or long-term relationships. Here you can discuss the features of family life without children, as well as ask for advice in cases of misunderstanding with a partner on this issue. In general, a variety of social interaction is what members of the Childfree in Russian group and other similar communities on the Internet do.
Instead of a conclusion
“Free from children” means those who do not feel the need to have offspring and consciously choose childlessness. It is impossible to call the childfree community a subculture, since the group has no special rules or distinctive external signs. Yes, and a social movement (at least in the CIS countries) they can be considered a stretch, because they do not put forward slogans and do not try to change the world. In general, we can say that childfree is a way of life that can be understood or not, but definitely respected.worth it, if only because these people are honest in their choice and do not impose it on others.
