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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Permanent childlessness
— perceived advantages and disadvantages among older persons | | Author(s) | Ingrid Arnet Connidis, Julie Ann McMullin |
| Journal title | Canadian Journal on Aging, vol 18, no 4, Winter 1999 |
| Pages | pp 447-465 |
| Keywords | Childless ; Attitude ; Social surveys ; Canada. |
| Annotation | Of 287 childless respondents aged 55 and over who were part of a larger study on ageing and social support in London, Ontario, 193 (67%) report advantages of childlessness and 185 (64%) report disadvantages. Qualitative data show that key perceived advantages are: fewer worries or problems; financial benefits; greater freedom; and career flexibility. The major disadvantages are: lack of companionship, being alone, and loneliness; lack of support and care when older; and missing the experience of parenthood. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of the effects of gender, marital status, age and childless status (childless by choice or by circumstance) have on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of having no children show that there is variability in perceived advantages only. While specific perceived advantages and disadvantages are compared to related experience, only some perceived benefits (financial advantage) are associated with actual experience. Findings are discussed in the context of actually experiencing costs and benefits versus sharing widely held beliefs about childlessness. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-000522206 A |
| Classmark | SU: DP: 3F: 7S |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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