Conceptualizing Childbearing Ambivalence
A Social and Dynamic Perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2286931 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christie Sennott (0000-0002-3760-6271, Purdue University, corresponding author), Sara Yeatman (0000-0002-5991-6473, University of Colorado Denver) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 888-901 |
| Publication date | 2018-08-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Marriage and the Family (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-2445 • E-ISSN: 1741-3737 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/jomf.12489 |
| PMID | 30270937 |
| OpenAlex | W2799280669 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 25 |
| References cited | 63 |
Childbearing ambivalence is often conceptualized as a state of conflicting desires about having a child that is characteristic of particular individuals or life stages. This study proposes that childbearing ambivalence is dynamic and situational, resulting from the multiple sociocultural frames surrounding childbearing. Using eight waves of prospective data from a population-based sample of young adults in Malawi, results show that 41% of women and 48% of men are ambivalent about childbearing at some point in the 2.5-year study. There is limited evidence that ambivalence is related to individual sociodemographic or psychosocial characteristics aside from gender; rather, ambivalence is tied to life course markers such as school enrollment and age. In addition, life course transitions and changes in relationships, health, and economic factors are associated with the onset of ambivalence, supporting the theory that ambivalence is a dynamic state that men and women frequently pass through as their lives and circumstances change
Ambivalence · Developmental psychology · Life course approach · Population · Psychiatry · Psychosocial · Situational ethics · Sociology · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Demography · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology · Social Psychology
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Partner Effects on a Woman's Intention to Conceive
Age Structuring and the Rhythm of the Life Course
The Consistency and Validity of Reproductive Attitudes
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Stability and Change in Fertility Preferences Among Young Women in Malawi
The Relationship Between Ambivalent and Indifferent Pregnancy Desires and Contraceptive Use Among Malawian Women
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Pregnancy Intentions Among Women Who Do Not Try
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An implicit ambivalence-indifference dimension of childbearing desires in the National Survey of Family Growth
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| Citations per year | 3.13 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2018 - 2026 (9) |
| Highly cited | No |