Childlessness - between Fate and Choice

Abstract

Childlessness in marriage is still socially defi ned as otherness. It is a deviation from the current cultural standard and – as a consequence – it requires explanation and legitimization, especially when the otherness is deliberate. Th e aim of the conducted qualitative research was to establish personal defi nitions of the situation of childlessness in marriage applied by persons aged 50 and older. Th e study focused on cultural patterns of experiencing and validating this non-standard lifestyle. 21 interviews centered on this issue were conducted. Th e analysis of the obtained data showed that the most important variables determining the model of experiencing childlessness in marriage by the subjects were the causes of childlessness and the signifi cance of having children in their individual hierarchy of values. In each individual case, the way of experiencing childlessness results from the confi guration of the recognized order of motivation and evaluation. It also seems that the order of evaluation is signifi cant to the entire functioning of thes.