Mendeley TY _ JOUR ID - 1403120849572 TI - Voluntary Childlessness in the Cultural Context of Khuzestan JO - Research of deviance and social problems JA - ES LA - fa SN - 3060-821X AU - Aryanezhad Hengameh AU - kordzanganeh Jafar AU - sharifi mansour AD - استادیار گروه علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه پیام نور، ایران AD - دانشجوی دوره دکترای جمعیت شناسی واحد علوم تحقیقات تهران AD - دانشیار جمعیت‌شناسی، گروه علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد گرمسار، Y1 - 2025 PY - 2025 VL - 13 IS - SP - 127 EP - 157 KW - Voluntary Childlessness KW - Women KW - Cultural Transformations KW - Khuzestan Province KW - Lifestyle. DO - N2 -

Voluntary Childlessness in the Cultural

Context of Khuzestan

 

Hengameh Aryanezhad*

Jafar Kordzangeneh **

 Mansour Sharifi ***

 

Voluntary childlessness, as a significant demographic characteristic of reproductive behavior, is the focus of this study. This research specifically examines the phenomenon among women in Khuzestan Province, Iran, using a qualitative methodology of the grounded theory approach. Data were collected through 28 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with childless women who, despite having no infertility issues, made a deliberate choice for lifelong childlessness. Data saturation was achieved, and analysis through open, axial, and selective coding resulted in 120 concepts, 19 subcategories, 6 main categories, and a core category identified as "childlessness as a lifestyle." The findings reveal that the choice of this lifestyle is not driven by a single factor nor emerges randomly in society. Instead, it is the outcome of a dynamic process wherein participants, by synthesizing various influencing factors, decide to adopt childlessness. Recommendations include implementing social policies to support women’s reproductive autonomy, developing public education and awareness programs to reduce negative attitudes and stereotypes toward childless women, and establishing employment support policies for these women.

 

Keywords: Voluntary Childlessness, Women, Cultural Transformations, Khuzestan Province, Lifestyle.

Introduction
Voluntary childlessness has emerged as a notable demographic phenomenon in contemporary societies, particularly in regions like Khuzestan Province, Iran, which has historically been characterized by strong cultural norms favoring high fertility. Economic, social, cultural, and psychological factors, alongside women’s lived experiences from childhood to adulthood, significantly influence the decision to remain permanently childless. This study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of this complex decision and its implications within the cultural context of Khuzestan.

 

Methodology
This research adopted a qualitative approach based on grounded theory. Data were collected through 28 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with married women in Khuzestan who had no fertility issues but consciously chose lifelong childlessness. Data saturation was achieved, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the phenomenon. The data were analyzed through three levels of coding: open, axial, and selective. The findings were validated through participant checks and consultations with expert academics.

 

Findings
The analysis yielded 120 concepts, 19 subcategories, and 6 main categories, with the core category identified as "childlessness as a lifestyle." Women’s decisions were shaped by causal conditions (e.g., economic and social challenges, upbringing experiences), contextual factors (e.g., time constraints, unstable support systems), and intervening conditions (e.g., increased educational attainment, economic instability). Strategies adopted by these women included conscious childlessness, self-determined lifestyles, and, in some cases, substituting children with pets.

 

Discussion and Conclusion

The findings indicate that voluntary childlessness is not a random occurrence but a deliberate choice resulting from the interplay of multiple factors. Women in Khuzestan, influenced by challenging lived experiences and a critical perspective on traditional maternal roles, adopt childlessness to preserve personal autonomy, pursue professional goals, and navigate economic and social challenges. This decision aligns with broader cultural transformations and increasing social acceptance of childlessness in the region. Voluntary childlessness in Khuzestan is becoming institutionalized as a lifestyle choice. Policymakers can support this trend by promoting women’s reproductive autonomy, implementing public education initiatives to reduce social stigma, and developing flexible employment policies. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of childlessness on women’s quality of life in later years and its broader cultural implications.

 

References

Correll, L. (2010) Anrufungen zur Mutterschaft. Eine wissenssoziologische Untersuchung von Kinderlosigkeit [Calls for motherhood. A scientific study of childlessness]. Münster: Verlag Westfälisches Dampfboot.

Correll, S. J., Benard, S., & Paik, I. (2007) Getting a job: Is there a motherhood penalty? American.

Hollander, H (2007) Women Who Are Fecund but Do Not Wish to Have Children Outnumber the Involuntarily Childless prespective on sexuale and reproductive health, Volume39, Issue2 pp. 120.

Doyle, J;  Pooley, J A and Lauren Breen (2012) “A phenomenological exploration of the childfree choice in a sample of Australian women” Journal of Health Psychology, Volume 18, Issue 3.

Frejka T. Childlessness in the United States. In: Kreyenfeld M, Konietzka D, editors. Childlessness in Europe: contexts, causes, and consequences. Springer: New York; 2017.

Glaser, Barney et al. (1967) Discovery of Grounded Theory, Transaction Publishers, U.S. Publisher.

Graham, M (2013) “Why are childless women childless? Findings from an exploratory study in Victoria, Australia”. Deakin University.

Hara,T. (2008) Increasing Childlessness in Germany and Japan: Toward a Childless Society? Jappanes Journal of Sociology Volume17, Issue1, November, pp. 42-62.

Kreyenfeld. M, Konietzka . D (2017) Childlessness in Europe: Contexts, Causes, and Consequences, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Rostock, Germany. DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-44667-7.

Parlak S., Tekin I. (2020) A phenomenological study on voluntarily childless women. Psikoloji Çalışmaları/Studies in Psychology, 40(1), pp. 161–186.

Settle, B., & Brumley, K. (2014) ‘It’s the Choices You Make That Get You There’: Decision Making Pathways of Childfree Women. Michigan Family Review, 18(1), 1–22. doi: 10.3998/ mfr.4919087.0018.102.

 

 

 


 

* Ph.D. Student in Demography, Research Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

 h.aryanezhad@gmail.com

** Corresponding Author: Assistant Professor of Demography, Department of Social Sciences, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

j.zangeneh@pnu.ac.ir

*** Associate professor of Demography, Department of Social Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar Branch, Semnan, Iran.

sharifim@ut.ac.ir

 
UR - rimag.ir/en/Article/49572 L1 - rimag.ir/en/Article/Download/49572 ER -