Blackstone speaks with KCRW about childfree choice

Amy Blackstone, a professor of sociology at the University of Maine, spoke with KCRW, a public radio station in Santa Monica, about the choice to be childfree and respecting family choices. Blackstone, whose book “Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence” was recently released, said girls are pushed very early in life toward becoming mothers. And she has turned to research that found the idea of maternal instinct is a cultural myth. “There’s very little scientific evidence to support the idea that it exists,” said Blackstone. “So I discovered A) there’s really nothing wrong with me that I’m not feeling the pull toward motherhood, and B) some women do feel that, but when they feel it, it’s more often a result of socialization rather than anything that’s going on instinctually for them.” Blackstone promotes the term “childfree” rather than “childless,” which implies a life without children is inferior or missing something, and said it ultimately is a personal choice. “If I have a cause, it is to promote the idea that we will all be better off when we come to understand and respect all people’s choices about family,” she said. The Maine Edge also published an interview with Blackstone.