STEREOTYPES TOWARD VOLUNTARILY CHILDLESS PEOPLE

"Research shows that people are perceived differently according to their parenting status. In particular, people who are voluntarily childless people are perceived more negatively than parents or people who are involuntarily childless people. Based on this information, the present research aims to examine how women and men who are voluntarily childless people are perceived in Turkey, a culture that cares about children. In this study, the participants (N = 35; mean age = 28.34) were asked to write down ""the adjectives that come to mind when they think of women and men who do not want to have children"". Participants were reached through an online data website http://www.surveey.com. Next, participants' responses were categorized using thematic analysis: personality traits (positive and negative), independence, and anxiety. According to the themes, men who were voluntarily childless were stereotyped more negatively than women who were voluntarily childless. Positive personality traits included realistic and hardworking (e.g., career-wise, workaholic, and hardworking) for both women and men, but women were also perceived as sociable and confident (e.g., successful, strong). Negative personal traits indicated that both groups were perceived as irresponsible and egoistic. However, men were also perceived as immature and womanizers (e.g., casanova, playboy). In addition, anxiety was a prominent theme for both groups. However, in this theme, while the emphasis was on the material things of men, the pregnancy period and body deterioration were emphasized in women."