Unwomanly conduct : the challenges of intentional childlessness

223 Pages·1994·3.822 MB·English

by  Morell, Carolyn Mackelcan

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Ly w o m a n
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Ike Challenges
of Intentional
QtilJl essness
Carolyn M» Morell
O Routledge
Taylor & Francis Croup
New York London
Published in 1994 by
Routlcdge
711 Third Avenue,
New York, NY 10017
Published in Great Britain by
Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park,
Abingdon, Oxon OX 14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 1994 by Carolyn Mackelcan Morell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Morell, Carolyn M. (Carolyn Mackelcan), 1942-
Unwomanly conduct: the challenges of intentional childlessness /
Carolyn M. Morell.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-415-90677-6 ISBN 0-415-90678-4 (pbk.)
1. Childlessness—Psychological aspects. 2. Women—Psychology.
3. Feminist theory. I. Title.
HQ760.M67 1994
305.42—dc20 93-45984
CIP
For
Carol M. Morcll
Jean Garis Flood & Harold D. Flood
and to the memory of
Elgin D. Morell
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C ontents
Acknowledgments ix
Preface: A Researcher’s Story xiii
“Why aren’t I being the hero?”: 1
The Politics of Reproductive Difference
“I think of myself as a product of the times”: 24
Troubling Developments
“I must admit, I didn’t freely admit it”: 48
Explaining the Choice
“She thought I was some kind of ogre that eats 71
children for lunch”:
Symbolic Politics I
“The thought, ‘will I regret it when I’m old?’ 89
is impossible to avoid . . . because it’s just out there”:
Symbolic Politics II
“The contrast between their lives and your life 111
puts a wedge between your friendship”:
The Social World of Childless Women
Conclusion 140
Appendix: About the Research 152
Notes 168
Bibliography 186
Index 196
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A ckno w ledgm ents
Research and writing demand many lonely hours, but the process
depends upon the involvement of others. Over the past seven years
many individuals have supported my work. My first debt is to the
women who consented to be interviewed, giving me their time and
their stories. Their courage and resourcefulness sustain me in a very
personal way.
At the dissertation stage, my director and mentor, Carole Joffe,
provided overarching support for my research. I am grateful for
the skillful guidance she provided from the very beginning.
Carole encouraged me to choose a topic that was “personally
compelling” since she correctly anticipated I was in for a long
haul. Throughout the process she treated me as a scholar in my
own right and critiqued my ideas without imposing her own.
Carole was available to me in a dedicated way whenever I needed
her.
Thank you to Leslie Alexander for her enthusiastic support, and
her willingness to sit on my dissertation committee. I also want to
thank other members of my committee—Jane Caplan, Lenard
Kaye, Jane Goodale, and Cynthia Brownstein. I also thank Diane
Craw for her warmth and technical assistance.
On the home front, Larry Flood extended himself to me in a
daily and dependable way that defies belief. He participated in
unrelenting conversations about childlessness, read and edited,
helped with research tasks and generally placed himself “on call” to
assist me. I appreciate the tolerance he developed for haphazard liv­
ing in the domestic realm. And I am grateful for the interest he
takes in my scholarly endeavors.
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