Planning to Have Children Chapter 10

Lecture/Discussion Outline Social pressure? Children and Family Life: How many? Teen Pregnancy Infertility Adoption options Abortion debate

Is there social pressure to have children in America? Are individuals who opt not to have children considered selfish/Immature? Is having children important to most people?

Becoming a Parent 72% of American adults have children – Half of all U.S pregnancies are unintended – A big milestone in life In a national study of first-year college students, 77% said that having children is an “essential” or “very important” objective in their lives. – In a similar study: 91% agreed to “Someday I want to have children”

Social Influences to Have Children Pronatalism – Family – Friends – Religion – Race – Government – Economy

Total Fertility Rate by Race/ethnicity, 2005 Differential birthrates reflect the fact that cultures have different beliefs and values about having children.

Lifestyle Changes Daily Living Financial Costs – Gender differences?

How many Children is Ideal? Do people who decide not to have children lead an empty life?

Number of Children and Family Dynamics Childfree marriages – Procreative liberty – Antinatalism In what ways is our country antinatalist? One Child? Two? Three? More than 3? – What is competitive birthing?

How does media portray teen pregnancy? Reasons for teenage pregnancy? What types of problems do teen mothers and fathers face?

Teenage Motherhood Social Stigma Poverty Poor Health Academic Achievement

Fertility What macro level factors affect fertility rates? – The sociological imagination

Infertility Primary Secondary Pregnancy wastage – Are infertility problems mostly attributed to women?

Assisted Reproductive Technology Hormone therapy Artificial Insemination In Vitro fertilization

Should individuals be able to pick the sex of their baby?

Reproductive technology-Social and Ethical Issues Embryo Screening- A technology for examining fertilized eggs before implantation to choose or eliminate certain ones. – The potential to create a child with certain traits expands – What are the implications? Sex selection Trait selection

Adoption Demographic characteristics of those who typically adopt: white, educated, and high-income. Adoptees in the highest demand are healthy, white infants. Those who are older, of a racial or ethnic group different from the adoptive parents, of a sibling group, or with physical or developmental disabilities are more difficult to place.

Adoption Transracial Adoption – Adopting children of a race different from that of the parents. Why controversial? Open Adoptions – In an open adoption, the biological parent can stay involved in the child’s life.

Abortion 1. An induced abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy through chemical or surgical means. 2. A spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) is the unintended termination of a pregnancy. – What are the main arguments of the abortion debate?

Abortion Debate Pro-Life – The unborn fetus has a right to live. – Abortion is an immoral solution to unintended pregnancy. – The life of an unborn fetus is sacred and should be protected, even at the cost of individual difficulties for the pregnant woman. Pro-Choice – Freedom of choice is a central value. – Those who must bear the burden of their choices ought to have the right to make these choices. – Procreation choices must be free of governmental control.

Who Gets Abortions and Why? 1209 pregnant women who reported having an reported the following reasons: – 74% - The child would interfere with education, work, or ability to care for dependents. – 73% - She could not afford a baby now. – 48% - She did not want to be a mother or was having relationship problems.

Abortion Physical Effects Psychological Effects Post-abortion attitudes of men