Blackstone’s research included in BDN article on choosing not to have children

Amy Blackstone, a sociology professor at the University of Maine, spoke with the Bangor Daily News for an article about why some Maine residents choose not to have children. Blackstone, who does not have children, has been interviewing other adults who have decided not to become parents and is working on a book about her research, according to the article. She and her husband also maintain the blog, “We’re {not} having a baby! childfree adventures in a child-centric world.” Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey show that in 2014, 47.6 percent of women between age 15 and 44 had never had children, an increase from 46.5 percent in 2012. Blackstone told the BDN she credits the feminist movement of the previous generation with making it easier for women her age and younger to view motherhood as an option instead of an assumption. But, she cautioned, that progress is not secure. “If we’re still having the conversation about whether women have the right to control their own fertility, we’re clearly still at risk,” Blackstone said.