Conceptualizing Childbearing Ambivalence: A Social Perspective
Childbearing ambivalence is often operationalized as a state of conflicting desires about having a child that is characteristic of particular individuals and/or life course stages. This study proposes instead that childbearing ambivalence is dynamic and situational, resulting from the multiple socio-cultural scripts surrounding childbearing. Using prospective data from a population-based sample of young adults in southern Malawi, this study finds that 35% of women and 45% of men in the sample are ambivalent about childbearing at some point in the 2.5 year study. There is little evidence that ambivalence is related to personality traits or individual characteristics; rather, ambivalence is tied to life course markers such as being enrolled in school and aging. Finally, results show specific situations in one's environment and partnership are associated with the onset of ambivalence, lending support to the dynamic-situational approach.
IPR Seminar: Dr. Christie Sennott, Sociology, Purdue University
September 26, 2017
12:30PM - 1:30PM
038 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil Ave.
Add to Calendar
2017-09-26 12:30:00
2017-09-26 13:30:00
IPR Seminar: Dr. Christie Sennott, Sociology, Purdue University
Conceptualizing Childbearing Ambivalence: A Social PerspectiveChildbearing ambivalence is often operationalized as a state of conflicting desires about having a child that is characteristic of particular individuals and/or life course stages. This study proposes instead that childbearing ambivalence is dynamic and situational, resulting from the multiple socio-cultural scripts surrounding childbearing. Using prospective data from a population-based sample of young adults in southern Malawi, this study finds that 35% of women and 45% of men in the sample are ambivalent about childbearing at some point in the 2.5 year study. There is little evidence that ambivalence is related to personality traits or individual characteristics; rather, ambivalence is tied to life course markers such as being enrolled in school and aging. Finally, results show specific situations in one's environment and partnership are associated with the onset of ambivalence, lending support to the dynamic-situational approach.
038 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil Ave.
OSU ASC Drupal 8
ascwebservices@osu.edu
America/New_York
public
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Add to Calendar
2017-09-26 12:30:00
2017-09-26 13:30:00
IPR Seminar: Dr. Christie Sennott, Sociology, Purdue University
Conceptualizing Childbearing Ambivalence: A Social PerspectiveChildbearing ambivalence is often operationalized as a state of conflicting desires about having a child that is characteristic of particular individuals and/or life course stages. This study proposes instead that childbearing ambivalence is dynamic and situational, resulting from the multiple socio-cultural scripts surrounding childbearing. Using prospective data from a population-based sample of young adults in southern Malawi, this study finds that 35% of women and 45% of men in the sample are ambivalent about childbearing at some point in the 2.5 year study. There is little evidence that ambivalence is related to personality traits or individual characteristics; rather, ambivalence is tied to life course markers such as being enrolled in school and aging. Finally, results show specific situations in one's environment and partnership are associated with the onset of ambivalence, lending support to the dynamic-situational approach.
038 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil Ave.
Institute for Population Research
popcenter@osu.edu
America/New_York
public