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7/25/2019 CHAPTER 2.Checking

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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents gathered information and materials which have relevance to the

study and can serve as reference in understanding the nature of the topic. Also included in this

chapter is the Conceptual Framework upon which the study will be analyzed. These facts and

data will be collected from various books, articles, blogs, news, and websites.

Deciding Whether to Have a Chid

(lazer, !""#$ %t&s not uncommon for one member of a couple to feel ready before the other

does, notes 'osalyn logier, ).*.+., a psychotherapist and adoption counselor in +ashington,

.C. *ometimes, this offers both members some balance-with one pushing ahead and the other

holding back a bit, they may arrive at a pace that feels right for both of them. owever, logier

notes that there are times when people really are at different places. /%t&s important that the more

hesitant partner be willing to look at his0her concerns and feel more comfortable before moving

ahead,1 she says. /%t might help to talk with close friends who have had children to find out how

they worked on possible differences in time schedules. The couples % really worry about are

those who didn&t address the topic of having children before getting married and later discover

that one wants to be a parent and the other does not.1

Assuming that you know your partner wants to become a parent, but you fear he may not be

ready, you need to e2plore what might be holding him back. %f you&re planning to be at home


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with the baby or to take an e2tended maternity leave, he may be feeling pressured to earn enough

to support the family. 3r he may be reflecting back upon his e2periences with his own father,

wondering if he can measure up or fearing that he will repeat his father&s mistakes. e sensitive,

also, to the possibility that your partner may be reluctant to share your love, affection, and

attention with a child. 4ach of these concerns should be something that you talk about together

and, if needed, with a trusted therapist or in a couples& group.

Vo!ntar" Chide##ne##

5oluntary childlessness in women is defined as women of childbearing age who are fertile and

do not intend to have children, women who have chosen sterilization, or women past

childbearing age who were fertile but chose not to have children. %ndividuals can also be

6temporarily childless6 but want children in the future. The reasons child7free couples give for

not having children are as varied as the couples themselves.(

For many, the biological clock never ticked and they lack a strong urge to parent. 8umerous

couples cite the financial restrictions, the childcare challenges, and the time constraints of

parenting. *ome opt out of child rearing due to environmental, political, and overpopulation

concerns. 3thers endured abusive childhoods and are too bruised to parent. *ome re9ect the

career limitations that parenting imposes. *ome admit to disliking children or lacking the

patience to parent. *till others are caretakers to aging parents and feel children would further

deplete their energy. *ome are dismayed with the direction parenting has taken today.

)any voluntarily child7free couples are loathing sacrificing a rewarding, creative, and often

spontaneous lifestyle that includes travel, entertainment, sports, and hobbies. %n short, they


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cherish their unfettered freedom. Couples also mention the peace, :uiet, and order of a child7free

home. )inimizing stress is yet another common factor many child7free couples consider when

making their choice.

Rea#on# $h" a co!%e# $ant to &e chid'ree

Couples who remain child7free assume parenthood will lead to more distance between marital

partners and to increased frustration and tension because a child means more responsibility in

their viewpoint.

;ess responsibility < this is undoubtedly the initial answer if you are a middle7class working

Filipino. 4ven struggling local businessmen can attest to the hard times. To veer away from

unnecessary worry of responsibility, going childless is the answer.

etter lifestyle < since typical salaries are best allocated to = or ! people only, a childless

working couple can bring their surplus money to other lu2uries that would elevate their

lifestyles. etter tasting food, upper class housing and more fashionable clothes are among the

few perks.

)ore free time < being childless will give the individual freer time to do whatever they wish like

going to social gatherings, or getting into sports or hobbies. For women, ability to empower

themselves < most mothers will have to sacrifice their careers at some point in their lives when

they get pregnant, give birth and rear their newborn babies. Freedom to do what is really relevant

for you < there are some things that we are passionate about that we would be happy to do -

like volunteering in community pro9ects, focusing on an acting career, etc. aving dependents


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will have you prioritize child7rearing over fulfillment in supposedly more relevant matters. %n

other more developed countries like the >* where basic needs aren&t really scarce (perhaps even

some Filipinos believe too$ that there are other /higher1 reasons why being childless is better.

To let )other 8ature, recuperate < undoubtedly, humans are a ma9or cause of environmental

degradation-pollution, forest denudation to accommodate more housing, greenhouse effect, etc.

According to a ritish report, lower birthrate would help cut carbon dio2ide emissions.

According to this report by the 3ptimum ?opulation Trust, population growth is widely

acknowledged as one of the main causes of climate change.

To give a better life to poor children < being childless doesn&t mean you don&t want to have a

family. +hile most of the followers of this principle believe that money, time and priorities will

be compromised by having children, others think that there are 9ust too many poor children that

are unwanted and abandoned in the world. They believe that perhaps adopting one or two of

them would make a difference.

Con#e(!ence# o' )eing Chide##

*ometimes the decision of being childless only works temporarily. This is why most doctors

discourage permanent procedures such as surgical hysterectomy or tubal ligation because they

anticipate that some couples change their minds in a few years or so. ?arenthood isn&t all horrors

and difficulty. ere are some good points that having children can bring@

The concept of family < the ideal family is composed of mother, father, brother and sister. *ome

people feel that having children is the only way they can paint a picture of having their own

family.


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;egacy < sometimes we get into that feeling that the only way to immortality is either doing

something great that generations will remember you for (which is :uite difficult to achieve for

simple and normal people$ or have children to continue your family name and legacy.

?ersonal fulfillment < some women feel that the essence of their being is motherhood. They feel

that motherhood is the highest form of career a woman can achieve. aving your own family,

complete with children who rely on your support and guidance, fills up that empty space of

purpose.

E''ect# o' Chide##ne##

4ffects of childlessness vary by gender and economic pressures and that childlessness past age

" more negatively affects women than men. The involuntarily childless couples show higher

levels of dyadic cohesion and satisfaction. ?erceptions and reports of e2perience of being

stigmatized because of childlessness, particularly voluntary childlessness, vary. The childless

perceive themselves to be negatively stereotyped by family and friends. usbands have been

perceived as more psychologically healthy when they have children and wives have been viewed

more negatively and liked less when describes as voluntary childless.

P!&ic Attit!de# to$ard# the Chide##

There appears to be little room for doubting that those who remain childless 7whether voluntarily

or involuntarily7 are often stigmatized and treated as if something is wrong with them. Childless

women are perceived as individualistic, nonconforming, intelligent, and self7fulfilled. The

voluntarily childless are describe as selfish, unusual persons, who are more likely to be pitied or

their alternative view of social reality than to be applauded.

Invo!ntar" Chide##ne##


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%nvoluntary childlessness is when a couple or individual who wants to have children and cannot.

enerally, because one of two factorsB =. A mate whom to produce a family.!. %nfertility can

either be a physical problem from neither male nor the female.

Couples find that they are not able to conceive a child, although they want one, suffer from

heavy stress. %t brings a burden upon couples, emotional distress, and psychological stress.

%nfertile couples progress through a number of emotions similar to the stages involved in

grieving a death. Couples may e2perience a pool of emotions0stress varying from depression,

an2iety, guilt, grief, mourning for the 6loss6 and of wondering what couldve been, blame

themselves for 6letting down their partners6 even have resentment towards pregnant women and

friends and family who fail to empathize with the feelings of the couple.

In'ertiit"

Appro2imately one in si2 married couples e2perience infertility at some point in their lives.

%nfertility has two ma9or aspects 7 the psychological and the medical. %t is important to recognize

with clients that it is a medical condition and not a se2ual disorderB the couples se2ual

relationship may be e2cellent although, not fertile. %nfertility is defined medically as the inability

to conceive a child after a year or more of regular se2ual intercourse without contraception or as

the inability to produce a live child if there have been number of pregnancies. ?sychologically,

infertility is a life cycle crisis that results in a state of dise:uilibrium for couples who had

e2pected to have a child and discover they are not able to achieve their goal. rief and its varied

stages and manifestations (shock, denial, anger, guilt, self7blame, decreases self7esteem, and

diminished control over their lives including feelings of helplessness$ are common reactions of

couples. *ocial attitudes toward infertility and the couples perception of such attitudes contribute

to the stigmatizing and stereotyping of infertile couples.


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E''ect# on Wo*en

Compared to voluntary childless women and to mothers, infertile women have been found to

manifest a strong need to be loved and e2aggerated sense of femininity. They also report better

marriages than do mothers. At the same time, infertile women have reported less satisfaction

with their lives as a whole and, compared with mothers, have rated their life as more lonely, less

rewarding, less interesting, and as less content.

E''ect# on +en

)en in couple&s treatment for infertility who are able to accept a childless marriage are able to

achieve better marital ad9ustment. %n addition, better ad9ustment is more likely to occur

especially when their wife is employed or have high earnings.

In T!r,e"

+omen have a sense of fear of being left by their husband because of inability to have a child but

men do not. Also women are more likely to be accused for infertility by their relatives and the

society in the most part of Turkey. This situation begins to change day by day. Additionally,

woman is one who is supporter, seeking a solution, wanting treatment, and patient in the case of

infertility. )en see themselves without se2ual prowess resulting that they begin to see

themselves not masculine enough. in the case of mens infertility, they are hardly persuaded that

they are infertile. They almost never talk about this situation. 8aturally they are less influenced

by social pressure than women.

E''ect# on +arriage

)ediating factors such as the relationship between self7esteem and commitment to the marriage

can significantly affect their ad9ustment to being involuntarily childless. ealthy couples


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gradually move toward resolution, learning to cope7 to tolerate, overcome or reduce the stress7

and to gradually become able to confront the situation instead of denying it.

Artice

*cholarly e2planations for why some adults choose to remain childfree range from the impact of

macro7social forces such as women&s increasing labor force participation and access to reliable

birth control to micro7level motivations such as autonomy and freedom. *haron ouseknecht, in

the =DE andbook of )arriage and the Family, found that the most commonly cited reason for

not having children was /freedom from childcare responsibility and greater opportunity for self7

fulfillment and spontaneous mobility.1 )ore recently, Carmichael and

+hittaker&sstudyparticipants reported an aversion to the lifestyle changes associated with

becoming a parent while illespie foundthat a desire for personal freedom and the ability to

develop relationships with other adults led childfree adults to opt out of parenthood. The

emerging childfree movement demonstrates that childfree adults recognize their status as

stigmatized and challenge the characterization of their choice as a deviant one. The movement is

primarily a virtual one, with an increasing number of blogs and social networking sites devoted

to facilitating connections among the childfree. asten&sresearchon the childfree movement

indicates that these groups have the capacity to draw wide appeal yet asten also notes that the

heterogeneity of childfree organizations may make sustaining a larger movement challenging. y

and large, childfree adults fare well later in life. Albertini and Gohli foundthat the support

networks of childless older people were more diverse than those of parents and included stronger

links with a broader range of relatives as well as friends and other non7relatives. 3lder adults

without children in Albertini and Gohli&s study also tended to be more actively engaged

in charity work than their counterparts who had children. *imilarly, +enger foundthat the aging
http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Marriage-Family-Suzanne-Steinmetz/dp/030641967X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376671257&sr=1-1&keywords=030641967Xhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10680-006-9112-4http://gas.sagepub.com/content/17/1/122http://www.spi.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/pdf/Childlessness_-_Number_5.pdfhttp://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6373432http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6373324http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Marriage-Family-Suzanne-Steinmetz/dp/030641967X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376671257&sr=1-1&keywords=030641967Xhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10680-006-9112-4http://gas.sagepub.com/content/17/1/122http://www.spi.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/pdf/Childlessness_-_Number_5.pdfhttp://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6373432http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6373324


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childless fill /voids1 that might be presumed to e2ist in their lives by sharing strong relationships

with family members and being engaged in community endeavors. (Amy, !"=$

/)y husband and % are choosing to be child free because we don&t see the world and the human

race as being entities we want to e2pose a much loved child to. %t is not all about freedom and

time to us. %t goes so much deeper than that. +e both didn&t have great family units growing up

and we also are only children so our child would have no cousins or aunts or uncles < would be

isolated unless we could find a friend family. +e surely would do our best to do so for the child,

but we fear it wouldn&t be the same. )y husbands& father was an absentee ad < his parents were

never married, and mine were divorced when % was . % was also an abuse victim. *o, % 9ust wish

there was more out there on people like us < seems to all be this fluffy stuff like we want to be

able to travel when we want to and have time to ourselves every day, etc.1 according to *heryl-

one of the person who respond to the article.

St!die#

*tudies have also revealed that the inability to have a child is often devastating to both partnersB

however, there are differences in men and women&s reactions to infertility. ?rior research has

tended to concentrate on the womans e2perience while virtually ignoring the men H=IJ. Another

study indicates that both se2es e2perience strong feelings of sorrow, isolation, urgency, guilt, and

powerlessness H=IJ. 8evertheless, as a rule these feelings are generally e2pressed differently. %n

general, women are verbal and tend to seek out support during times of stress, while men use

avoidance, minimization, and denial. Contrarily, infertility has some positive effects in marriage

such as bringing partners closer in the search for a solution to their problem.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610195/#B15http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610195/#B15http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610195/#B15http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3610195/#B15


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The increasing range of voluntary childlessness connects to the coe2istence of a couple of factors

that are divided into two groups7 factors connected with the social conte2t and factors referring

directly to the decision maker (arncarek !""E,!"=", Gocik !""!, )ynarska !""D,!"==, *lany

and *zczepaniak7 +iecha !""$ The first group contains@ bad financial situation, difficulties in

the labor market, lack of ade:uate housing, family policy of the country, an increase of

individualistic attitude, changes in a family structure and value of a child in the family, the

influence of western styles of behavior patterns. According to C3*, for half of women not

planning to have children the reason for such a decision is bad financial situation, and for one

third of them it is the e2pected problems of connecting family and professional responsibilities

(C3, !"=a$. 'egarding the factors connected to the person himself0herself@ partner&s attitude,

lack of support from the nearest environment, maturity, e2perience gained from the family home

(artak and artosz !"=", 'o9ewska !"="$

As a result the perception of people regarding childlessness especially in a woman, whose

primary function is considered childbearing and whose economic and social status is often

hinged on their ability to have children, is often derogatory and 9udgmental. +hatever the cause,

as a result of e2isting social and gender norms, women are often blamed if a couple is childless.

A woman may suffer any or a combination of the following as a result of being childless 7

distress, depression, lowered self7esteem, social stigma, open ridicule, isolation, economic

deprivation, and physical violence, threats from husbands and husbands& family, re9ection,

abandonment and divorce. *tudies have also shown that infertile women suffer more health

complaints including se2ual dysfunction compared to fertile women (+aziri7erameh and 3moti,

!""#$. 3n the other hand, childlessness of the male as a result of infertility is often not


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acknowledged (3konofua, !""!$ and is less visible. Further, there are other socially sanctioned

ways in which men can mask their infertility. Childless men may therefore be less traumatized.

owever, in cases where the infertility of a man is known in the society, such man may also

suffer different kinds of trauma and stigma. %n some cultures, childless men have lesser status in

the community compared to their peers with children and their views may not be considered or

they may not be allowed to contribute to societal discussions (>pton, !""=$.

These feelings of distress, sometimes combined with an e2perienced lack of social support, may

result in several physiological and psychological symptoms of distress, such as health

complaints, depression, an2iety and even complicated bereavement (erghuis and *tanton,!""!B

van den Akker !""IB 5erhaak et al., !""Ib$.

*ome studies, report the difficulty that childless couples have in communicating with friends

who do have children. They describe negative (although sometimes well7meant$ remarks within

the couples social worlds, for instance at birthday parties and other social gatheringsB however,

supportive reactions are also mentioned very often (*chmidt, !""#$. %t is possible for childless

couples to participate in the world of children, especially if couples have good friends or

relatives who have children. They are able to participate in the lives and activities of the children

of their friends and relatives by, for instance taking care of the children for a part of the week or

when the parents are on holidayB taking the children to school, music lessons or sports activitiesB

or going to games or shows in which the children participate. An early study on childlessness

found that about ten per cent of couples had chosen this strategy as a way of coming to terms

with their childless life (van alen, =DD=$ Also, recently +irtberg and colleagues (!""$

described this as typical coping strategy for childlessness. %t appears that in the +est childless

people are not formally e2cluded from being involved with raising children.


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There are a variety of pathways adults may take to making the decision to remain childfree. %n

this section we e2amine both how adults come to identify as childfree and e2planations for why

some choose to do so. %n terms of the :uestion of how, some adults choose early not to have or

rear children and stick with this decision throughout the life course. 3thers may postpone

childbearing decisions for such a period of time that eventually biological reproduction is no

longer an option. *till others may intend to bear or rear children but never actually do so. Those

in the latter two categories may eventually come to identify as childfree, along with those who

knew early on that they would not have children. %n their study of childbearing patterns among a

nationally representative sample, eaton et al. (=DDD$ found that while some adults indeed

remained KKconsistently childless&& over time, others who initially intended to have children later

changed their minds and decided against doing so. )ost :uantitative investigations in this area

do not distinguish between the voluntarily and involuntarily childless and this is sometimes

intentional (Geizer et al. !""E$B yet these studies are nevertheless instructive for researchers

interested in those who e2plicitly identify as childfree. 3ne pattern found in pathways to

KKchildlessness,&& be it chosen or not, is that this process may differ by gender (Geizer et al. !""E$.

Luantitative investigations have also found that differences in transitions to adulthood may play

a role in pathways to parenthood and non7parenthood. Focusing broadly on KKchildlessness&&

rather than specifically on voluntary childlessness, agestad and Call (!""$ found that two

transitions in particular < leaving one&s parents& home and marrying < played a role in whether or

not one would become a parent. Luantitative findings, while generally focused broadly on both

the childfree and involuntarily childless, suggest that childfree adults do not universally reach the

decision to remain so at the same stage of life or in the same way. Though :ualitative studies are

well suited to e2amining processes such as how individuals come to identify as childfree, fewer


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:ualitative investigations focus specifically on pathways to the childfree identity. *uch studies

have the potential to illuminate the :uantitative patterns described in the aforementioned studies.

Stre## o' In'ertiit"

%ndividuals who learn they are infertile often e2perience the normal but nevertheless distressing

emotions common to those who are grieving any significant loss - in this case the ability to

procreate. Typical reactions include shock, grief, depression, anger, and frustration, as well as

loss of self7esteem, self7confidence, and a sense of control over one&s destiny.

'elationships may suffer - not only the primary relationship with a spouse or partner, but also

those with friends and family members who may inadvertently cause pain by offering well7

meaning but misguided opinions and advice. Couples dealing with infertility may avoid social

interaction with friends who are pregnant and families who have children. They may struggle

with an2iety7related se2ual dysfunction and other marital conflicts.

*ome of the literature in this area has shifted focus from the macro7level social changes

described above to more micro7level processes that e2plain individuals& motives for and

conse:uences of remaining childfree (e.g., illespie !""B ouseknecht =DEB ;etherby !""!B

?ark !""I$. For e2ample, ouseknecht (=DE$ found that the most commonly cited reason for

not having children was KKfreedom from childcare responsibility and greater opportunity for self7

fulfillment and spontaneous mobility&& (I"$. %n illespie&s (!""$ research, themes that emerged

in relation to the choice not to have children included personal freedom and the ability to develop

relationships with other adults. %n one :ualitative study, Carmichael and +hittaker (!""$ found

that those had KKchosen D childlessness&& cited the following reasons for not wanting children@ an

aversion to the lifestyle changes that come with parenthood, an e2plicit re9ection of the maternal


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role, selfishness, and either feeling unsuited or proficient but unwilling to take on the role of

parent. %n sum, both macro7 and micro7level processes have been e2plored as potential

e2planations for how and why some adults come to identify as childfree. Triangulating findings

from :uantitative investigations of pathways to voluntary childlessness with :ualitative

e2aminations of the reasons childfree individuals themselves cite for their decision could lead to

even greater understanding of the how and the why behind childfree people&s status as childfree.

%n addition to studies which focus on the choices and life course of childfree people themselves,

the literature in this area also includes studies of others& responses to and perceptions of the

childfree.

I*%act on Se'

A key finding from 'osner&s research is the fact that infertility can have a profound impact on

identity. /First and most obviously, there is the disruption to the e2pected developmental shift to

parenthood,1 'osner says. /+omen often begin to imagine themselves as mothers long before

actually trying to have children, and this is certainly influenced by implicit cultural and societal

messages that idealize motherhood. +hen this imagined self of a mother, however tentative, is

withdrawn, it may result in feeling a loss of control, threaten her imagined future, cause her to

doubt her womanhood, and feel like an assault on her ability to self7actualize.1

?regnant peers and0or those who have small children often surround women in their childbearing

years and can pose challenges to the infertile woman. /?arents often connect with each other and

form friendships through their kids,1 'osner says. /+omen also bond and deeply connect

through what they have in common, which includes pregnancy and children. This may result in

an infertile woman feeling marginalized or stigmatized because of her childlessness. *he may


15/26

also :uestion where she fits in with her family of origin. There may be guilt about not being able

to provide a grandchild or a feeling of not fitting in.1

I*%act on Reation#hi%#

Almost all the women interviewed for 'osner&s study spoke of the stress that infertility placed on

their marriages. /Met this crisis also forced couples to engage in self7reflection, to be vulnerable,

and to develop a deeper mutual empathy and appreciation for each other,1 'osner says. /%t is

truly an opportunity to foster tremendous emotional intimacy and commitment despite the

painful ups and downs. *till, not everyone gets through infertility with their marriage intact.

Conflict often arises over transitions-which treatment to use, when to stop treatment, or when

to adopt.1

+hen couples cannot agree on these important decisions, it is often due to an issue that e2isted

prior to the infertility. /A social worker can e2plore with the couple whether there are underlying

issues that prevent them from reaching a decision that is best for the relationship,1 'osner says.

%nfertility also can impact a woman&s relationship with other family members, though overall,

'osner did not see tremendous shifts in long7e2isting family patterns. *till, even in a strong

family dynamic, the infertile woman may e2perience painful changes. For instance, the woman&s

parents may give more attention to her siblings with children or the infertile woman may now be

out of sync with siblings as developmental stages are no longer shared.

Though family relationships didn&t change dramatically, 'osner did see significant shifts in

friendships. /)any women e2perienced a lack of empathy and support, and insensitivity from

close friends,1 she says. /This disenfranchised grief resulted in strained or broken friendships

and was e2tremely painful.1


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E*otiona e''ect# o' in'ertiit"

lame@ %f the couple is not deeply bonded, there will be a tendency to blame each other. 3ften,

family members like parents of the couple also point fingers and create stress between the

couple.

uilt@ oth husband and wife will blame themselves for this situation. )otherhood holds an

important place in the feminine psyche and especially in society&s perceptions of women. This

will lead to guilt in women and may result in depression.

%nade:uacy@ The ability to have children is seen as a sign of masculine virility. +hen a man is

unable to father a child, he struggles to reconcile it with his pride.

Anger@ %n these emotional effects of infertility, the couple&s stress manifests itself as rage. This

rage may be directed at each other or at the people around them@ their household staff,

colleagues, friends or family.

ifference of opinion@ )en and women have different ways of coping. *he may want to talk and

be given emotional support, but he may not want to dwell on painful issues.

4motional distance@ 3ften, the couple begin avoiding their family and friends, as they do not

want to deal with probing :uestions. They feel that people around them cannot understand how

they feel.

Nealousy@ *ome couples, who are unable to conceive, develop intense 9ealousy for those who can.

They may behave badly with friends or relatives who have children.


17/26

;ack of se2ual interest@ The couple begin to time their intercourse to an ovulation time table. The

act of lovemaking feels routine and the additional pressure to be /successful1 each time creeps

in.

Financial stress@ )ost infertile couples go to the best doctors and struggle through several rounds

of e2pensive fertility treatment. This leaves them financially and emotionally devastated.

Ne$#

A significant number of Canadian couples the daydream is 9ust another day in their no7strings

and no7brats& life. Canada&s latest batch of !"== census numbers was released +ednesday and

revealed that OO.IP of couples are /without children1 compared to D.!P with children. aving

children used to be the point of being a pair. %t was the great aspiration - along with finding

love everlasting - a biological impulse to go forth and multiply and, later, once your babies

reached a certain age, to ca9ole them about the merits and benefits of doing their bit to 9oin the

ranks of parenthood while giving )om and ad some grandkids.

8o more. one are diaper changes and ballet classes, replaced by hot yoga and shopping trips to

8ew Mork City. )onica Qeniuk belongs to abes without abes, an 4dmonton social club for

child7free women. *he and her husband have been married for =E years.

/The benefits of not having children are in the driveway, in our closet and stamped on our

passports,1 )s. Qeniuk told ?ostmedia reporter )isty arris. /Gids are e2pensive. And the

marriage mortality rate is huge, without the added pressure of financing a child through its life.1

+hat she forgot to mention was how our kids can break our hearts.


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*tudies have revealed that there is a mismatch between the messaging we receive about

parenting, about how sweet it is - with its inherent emotional rewards - and the reality of the

mayhem7ridden slog many moms and dads face when wrangling their brood.

/%&d be reluctant to say that people are waking up and deciding not to have kids because they are

realizing how demanding it can be,1 says *teve )ock, an assistant professor in the health studies

and gerontology department at the >niversity of +aterloo.

Loca

The researcher found the local study through the news documentary in !"=. The documentary

was conducted by the news anchor ;uchi Cruz75aldez and the participants of the study was a

blogger named Nenny Nuan also known as *e2y 8omad and )ariel a housewife. The

documentary is about how she choose to be childfree and how it affects her relationship with her

husband. 3ne :uestion is being asked, is it a mutual decisionR

/Kasi nanliligaw pa lang siya sa akin, sinabi ko na sa kanya na huwag ako, di ba sabi ko sayo

pinagtawanan ko siya kasi kilala niya ako eh. Sobrang isa siya sa mga matatalik kong kaibigan

so alam yung mga prinsipyo ko sa buhay, mga paniniwala ko ganyan. Sabi ko, huwag ako kung

naghahanap ka ng magiging future mother of your kids, kasi alam mo naman, di ba na ayokong

maging isang ina tas inamin niya sa kin na medyo may pagkaganun din pala siya1. (Nenny$

For Nen and her husband it is a mutual decision to be childfree and for being childfree they will

have the freedom from all the hardship that their families e2perience from the past. They will be

free from all the sacrifices they have since they were young. At the age of !", they both start to

work for their family, responsibilities to feed them and having a personal and family problem

faced at the young age. 4leven years of being together, they spend most of their time traveling


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that will make both of them happy. From another documentary, Nen were interviewed she was

asked about, why they choose to be childfreeR

/Noong una para lang may mag-alaga sakin di ba! Dapat responsible din ako sa sarili kung

buhay at unfair yun dun sa bata kasi kumbaga, magkakaroon siya ng sarili niyang pangarap,

sarili niyang mundo. Hindi dahil uubligahin ko lang siya na para alagaan kami. (Nenny$

For her, it is not right to obligate the child to take care of his0her parents and according to Nenny,

as long as her husband is happy from being childfree, she is happy too.

The second participant of the documentary is )ariel and her husband they mutual decided to be

childfree. er husband do not have a regular 9ob that can sustain the need of the family. These

are reasons why they choose to be childfree.

"h, mag- asawa na kayo, gusto niyo ang isat isa pano kung magkaron kayo ng anak#oh,

magkaroon daw kami ng anak tapos wala naman istable na trabaho yung asawa ko. $ung mga

bata ang kawawa, gusto niya pagnagkaanak ako yung bata hindi na mahihirapan para maganda

ang magiging buhay saka ayaw niya dito, gusto niya malayo siya dito sa lugar nato. ()ariel$

They are living together for almost eight years and still childfree and they decided to conceive I

years from the year the study was conducted.

Kasi nakikita naming sa pinsan nila na maraming anak tapos walang trabaho kung saan saan

lang nagpupunta ang mga bata, parang na ano din siya yung asawa ko na di magkaanak muna

kasi bata pa kami sabi niya sakin, mga %& years old pwede na siguro kaming magkaanak, siya

%& years old pwede naman, pwede naman habulin daw, eh#. ()ariel$

The postponement of conceiving a child is the first priority of those married couple. The reasons

were the financial status, area of living and the e2periences they&ve been through and what they

see with others who have a child.


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There was another documentary conducted by Cheryl Cosim named ?unla, !"=O. The participant

were a si2 years living together and involuntary childless, named Avelyn and *ilvestro. They

really want to have a child and to e2perience having their own family.

'atagal na po kaming nagsasama ng asawa ko, anim na taon na po pero hanggang ngayon di

pa kami nagkakaroon ng anak. Kaya di pa namin nasusubukan kung papaano po ang buhay ng

isang pamilya. (Avelyn,!$

They try to conceive but still didn&t have a chance to have. They don&t know who have the

problem whether the wife or the husband. According to *ilvestro having a married life means

having a child.

'as maganda kung may anak kasi kung walang anak bakit nag-asawa ka pa, kaylangan yun

kasi parang puno yun,eh, yun puno importante na nagkakabunga kung wala kang bunga di ba

pinuputol na lang, walang pakinabang yun eh. (*ilvestro$

They decided that when they found out that one of them is infertile, they will accept it and if one

of them wants to leave each others side well its fine.

(h, mahirap kasing umasa, aasa kang meron taswala pala, mabuti pa yun maaga pa alam mo

na kung ano ang problema. )inag-usapan na namin kung isa sa amin ang maysakit, eh,

tatanggapin na lang siguro namin yun kasi mahirap naman, di naman pwedeng kung maysakit

siya iiwanan ko siya, eh, kung ako iwanan niya okay lang sa *kin kung ako meron,eh, walang

problema, walang sisihan syempre.(*ilvestro$

The couples were given a chance to seek for professional help to find out who is not capable of

conceiving. As for the results, the husband is the one who have the problem.

)ara sakin medyo malungkot dahil parang may kulang sakin.(*ilvestro$


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$un nga po malungkot ako dahil may problema yun asawa ko kaya hindi kami basta-basta

magkaroon ng anak. (Avelyn$

oth of them felt sad during the interview and still can&t tell what will happen in the future. The

childless couple decided to still be together even though they will never have a child.

E*otion

%n =EEO the psychologist and philosopher +illiam Names published a theory that an

emotional stimulus produces visceral changes (heart rate, respiration, sweating$ and skeletal

muscle changes (running, hitting, facial e2pressions$ and that these changes are the source of the

sub9ective e2perience, or feeling, of the emotion. %n Names view, the feeling of the bodily

response %* the feeling of the emotion, termed emotion 6:ualia6 by philosophers. This reverses

the usual notion that we run because we are afraid, or cries because we are unhappy. %n the

Namesian model, we feel afraid because we run and sad because we cry. %n =D! the physiologist

+. . Cannon published a review and criti:ue of the Namesian model and advanced an

alternative theory. Among other things, Cannon argued that the viscera and skeletal muscles act

too slowly and are insufficiently discriminating to account for all emotional e2perience.

Cannons view suggested that the common perception that we run because we are afraid actually

is correct, and it established emotion as a critical motivator of behavior. ('oss, !"="$

4motions e2ert an incredibly powerful force on human behavior. *trong emotions can cause you

to take actions you might not normally perform, or avoid situations that you en9oy. (!"=I$

Theorie# o' e*otion


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Evo!tionar" Theor" o' E*otion

%t was naturalist Charles arwinwho proposed that emotions evolved because they were

adaptive and allowed humans and animals to survive and reproduce. Feelings of love and

affection lead people to seek out mates and reproduce. Feelings of fear compel people to either

fight or flee the source of danger. According to the evolutionary theory of emotion, our emotions

e2ist because they serve an adaptive role. 4motions motivate people to respond :uickly to

stimuli in the environment, which helps improve the chances of success and survival.

>nderstanding the emotions of other people and animals also plays a crucial role in safety

and survival. %f you encounter hissing, spitting, and clawing animal, chances are you will :uickly

realize that the animal is frightened or defensive and leave it alone. y being able to interpret

correctly the emotional displays of other people and animals, you can respond correctly and

avoid danger.

The .a*e#/Lange Theor" o' e*otion

%ndependently proposed by psychologist +illiam Namesand physiologist Carl ;ange, the

Names7;ange theory of emotion suggests that emotions occur as a result of physiological

reactions to events.

This theory suggests that when you see an e2ternal stimulus that leads to a physiological

reaction. Mour emotional reaction is dependent upon how you interpret those physical reactions.

For e2ample, suppose you are walking in the woods and you see a grizzly bear. Mou begin to

tremble, and your heart begins to race. The Names7;ange theory proposes that you will interpret

your physical reactions and conclude that you are frightened (6% am trembling. Therefore % am

afraid6$. According to this theory of emotion, you are not trembling because you are frightened.

%nstead, you feel frightened because you are trembling.
http://evolution.about.com/od/Darwin/p/Who-Is-Charles-Darwin.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/jamesbio.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/jamesbio.htmhttp://evolution.about.com/od/Darwin/p/Who-Is-Charles-Darwin.htmhttp://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/jamesbio.htm


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The Cannon/)ard Theor" o' e*otion

Another well7known physiological theory is the Cannon7ard theory of emotion. +alter

Cannon disagreed with the Names7;ange theory of emotion on several different grounds. First, he

suggested, people can e2perience physiological reactions linked to emotions without actually

feeling those emotions. For e2ample, your heart might race because you have been e2ercising

and not because you are afraid.

Cannon also suggested that emotional responses occur much too :uickly for them to be

simply products of physical states. +hen you encounter a danger in the environment, you will

often feel afraid before you start to e2perience the physical symptoms associated with fear such

as shaking hands, rapid breathing, and a racing heart.

Cannon first proposed his theory in the =D!"s and his work was later e2panded on by

physiologist ?hilip ard during the =D"s. According to the Cannon7ard theory of emotion, we

feel emotions and e2perience physiological reactions such as sweating, trembling, and muscle

tension simultaneously.

)ore specifically, it is suggested that emotions result when the thalamus sends a message

to the brain in response to a stimulus, resulting in a physiological reaction. At the same time, the

brain also receives signals triggering the emotional e2perience. Cannon and ard&s theory

suggests that the physical and psychological e2perience of emotion happen at the same time, and

that one does not cause the other.

Schachter/Singer Theor"
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Also known as the two7factor theory of emotion, the Schachter/Singer Theor" is an

e2ample of a cognitive theory of emotion. This theory suggests that the physiological arousal

occurs first, and then the individual must identify the reason for this arousal to e2perience and

label it as an emotion. A stimulus leads to a physiological response that is then cognitively

interpreted and labeled which results in an emotion.

*chacter and *inger&s theory draws on both the Names7;ange theory and the Cannon7

ard theory of emotion. ;ike the Names7;ange theory, the *chacter7*inger theory proposes that

people do infer emotions based on physiological responses. The critical factor is the situation and

the cognitive interpretation that people use to label that emotion.

;ike the Cannon7ard theory, the *chacter7*inger theory also suggests that similar

physiological responses can produce varying emotions. For e2ample, if you e2perience a racing

heart and sweating palms during an important math e2am, you will probably identify the emotion

as an2iety. %f you e2perience the same physical responses on a date with your significant other,

you might interpret those responses as love, affection, or arousal.

Cognitive A%%rai#a Theor"

According to appraisal theories of emotion, thinking must occur first before the

e2perience of emotion. 'ichard ;azarus was a pioneer in this area of emotion, and this theory is

often referred to as the ;azarus theory of emotion.

According to this theory, the se:uence of events first involves a stimulus, followed by thought,

which then leads to the simultaneous e2perience of a physiological response and the emotion.

For e2ample, if you encounter a bear in the woods, you might immediately begin to think that
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you are in great danger. This then leads to the emotional e2perience of fear and the physical

reactions associated with thefight7or7flight response.

S"nthe#i#

The related literature and studies in this chapter presents insights about childlessness, emotional

e2periences, and situation the married couples where in. Those studies can sustain the current

study. *ome similarities and differences of childlessness and emotions were seen with all those

studies.

The researchers can&t barely find any previous local studies in our country. 3nly those

documentary can help us understand on how Filipino married couples face the life of being

childless voluntarily or involuntarily.

The literature here helped the researchers to understand the feeling and emotions of the married

couple. %t also provides some possible answers the researchers might encounter while conducting

the study.

The reviewed related literature and studies are essential help in finding answers. )oreover, it

provided the researchers associate ideas to pursue this research and to know if it will be funding

the previous study.
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chapter 2.checking

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