{"id":2032,"date":"2018-05-21T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2018-05-20T14:39:50","modified_gmt":"2018-05-20T19:39:50","slug":"opting-in-and-out-of-motherhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2018\/05\/21\/opting-in-and-out-of-motherhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Opting In and Out of Motherhood"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by wilvia, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Images of smiling mothers and children flowed through our newsfeeds last week week as millions of Americans celebrated Mother\u2019s Day. Yet, within the slew of digital odes to motherhood, many users posted messages of support for women who either voluntarily or involuntarily opted out of motherhood. Sociologists have long explored the meanings of motherhood and its social impacts on the women excluded from its definition. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite increasing support for gender equity, the traditional role of mother and the myth of \u2018maternal instinct\u2019 are still recognized as \u2018natural\u2019 rites of passage in a woman\u2019s life. Women without children — particularly those who do not desire to have children — face stigma and criticism from friends, family and even coworkers that their childless status is abnormal and selfish. Even those who are involuntarily childless are portrayed as bereft and damaged. Childless women have resisted these depictions by expressing their reasons for opting out of motherhood. These include commitment to career aspirations, adverse childhood experiences, and idealistic perceptions of what good mothering looks like.<\/h5>\n