Wired speaks with Blackstone about childfree choice
Wired magazine spoke with Amy Blackstone, a professor of sociology at the University of Maine and author of the forthcoming book “Childfree by Choice,” about an article on reasons behind the choice not to have children. “There have always been people who have made the choice not to have children, but we’ve never noticed them in that way,” Blackstone said. “What’s different is that we’re talking about it openly now.” People who make the choice not to have children can have a variety of reasons, including the current economic and social environment in which they live, according to the article. For example, “The reality is that in the U.S., we have some of the worst supports for parents in the workplace in the world,” Blackstone said. “I wish we could shift conversations away from ‘What’s wrong with you?’ and toward why some people are hesitant to become parents. If there are cultural problems, let’s solve them. But then leave the rest of us alone.”