Choosing Parenthood: A Sociocultural Exploration of Highly Educated Women's Decision to Have Children in the Future

At vælge forældreskabet: en sociokulturel undersøgelse af højtuddannede kvinders beslutning om at få børn i fremtiden

Skjoldborg, Nikki Müller

4. term

Psychology, Master

2022

498

This thesis explores how highly educated women who plan to have children in the future understand and make the decision to pursue parenthood within a Nordic context marked by expanded choice, widespread contraception, and changing family forms. Noting that highly educated women diverge from the broader rise in lifelong childlessness, the study uses a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews from three highly educated Danish women. The interviews are analyzed through Karsten Hundeide’s sociocultural life-track framework (life-tracks, opportunity situations, and access skills) to illuminate decision-making, expectations, and aspirations. Findings indicate that participants view their life courses as interwoven tracks (education, career, partnership, family) that require planning skills and confidence to coordinate choices over time. Parenthood is central to partner selection and life-structuring, yet they do not wish to pursue single parenthood or adoption; their ideal is a partnered family characterized by connection and belonging. They also intend to maintain and advance their careers, making work and family parallel priorities. The analysis highlights concrete decision points and skills that open or constrain access to desired tracks, as well as potential fragility if ambitions in one domain are not met. The thesis discusses methodological limitations, including a small, self-selected sample, and calls for further research into cultural understandings of connection and parenthood.

Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan højtuddannede kvinder, der planlægger at få børn i fremtiden, forstår og træffer beslutningen om forældreskab i en nordisk kontekst præget af større valgfrihed, udbredt prævention og skiftende familieformer. Med afsæt i, at højtuddannede kvinder afviger fra den generelle stigning i livslang barnløshed, gennemføres et kvalitativt studie baseret på semistrukturerede interviews med tre højtuddannede danske kvinder. Interviewene analyseres med Karsten Hundeides sociokulturelle livsbaneteori (livsspor, mulighedssituationer og adgangskompetencer) for at belyse beslutningsprocesser, forventninger og aspirationer. Fundene viser, at kvinderne forstår deres livsbaner som sammenvævede spor (uddannelse, karriere, parforhold, familie), der kræver planlægningskompetencer og tillid til egen evne til at koordinere valg over tid. Forældreskab er centralt i partnervalg og livsstruktur, men de ønsker ikke at blive soloforældre eller adoptere; idealet er et familie- og tilhørsforhold skabt i et parforhold. Samtidig vil de fastholde og udvikle deres karrierer, hvilket gør arbejdsliv og familieliv til parallelle mål. Analysen fremhæver også specifikke beslutningspunkter og færdigheder, der åbner eller begrænser adgang til ønskede spor, samt en potentiel skrøbelighed i livsbanerne, hvis ambitioner i ét domæne ikke opfyldes. Specialet diskuterer metodiske begrænsninger, herunder lille og selvselekteret stikprøve, og peger på behov for yderligere forskning i kulturelle forståelser af tilknytning og forældreskab.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]

Parenthood ; Decision ; Sociocultural ; Hundeide ; Childbearing ; Highly educated ; Women

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