The myth of maternal instinct: insights about a childfree life, from a sociologist
Interview with Dr. Amy Blackstone
Childfree by choice
01.05.25
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For this episode of the podcast, Toshi spoke with sociologist Dr. Amy Blackstone about the childfree choice. Amy is a childfree woman who wrote the book, ‘Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family & Creating a New Age of Independence,’ which explores the history and growing movement of adults choosing to forgo parenthood. Amy has shared her research on the childfree choice in The Atlantic, Washington Post, Huffington Post, on the Katie show, and other venues.
Amy’s teaching and research interests include the sociology of gender, work, food, families, and healthcare. She has served as a consultant on workplace sexual harassment cases, and her research on this topic has been cited in the New York Times, USA Today, BuzzFeed, TIME, NBC News, and other outlets. She is passionate about food and has taught the Sociology of Food at UMaine and in Italy.
In this episode, we cover:
Dr Blackstone’s personal journey to being childfree
What the science says about ‘maternal instinct’
How gender impacts the experience of being childfree
Some of the reasons people decide to be childfree
How childfree individuals contribute to future generations in ways beyond parenting
Find Dr. Amy Blackstone at her website: https://www.amyblackstonephd.com/
Grab a copy of ‘Childfree by Choice’: https://www.amyblackstonephd.com/childfreebychoice
Listen to her podcast, ‘Nevertheless, Persisting’: https://www.amyblackstonephd.com/neverthelesspersisting
Timestamps:
00:00 – Trailer
00:34 – Intro
00:58 – Did Dr Blackstone always know she wanted to be childfree?
06:28 – Does science support the idea of ‘maternal instinct’?
08:54 – What's the difference between being ‘childfree’ and ‘childless’?
13:44 – How do men and women experience being childfree differently?
17:13 – Why do people decide to be childfree?
20:01 – How childfree people shape future generations
26:28 – How have people’s attitudes towards being childfree changed over time?
29:05 – Pros and cons of being childfree
34:55 – Do childfree people regret their choices?
40:35 – What should young people know about being childfree?
44:33 – Dr Blackstone’s final message for listeners
45:42 – Where to find Dr Blackstone and her work
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