SOCIO-CULTURAL CONSEQUENCES OF BEING CHILDLESS; PERSPECTIVES ACROSS AFRICA AND EUROPE

Abstract

Childlessness has major psychological and social implications for affected persons, although the implications vary across cultures. Whereas in some part of the developed European societies individuals voluntarily decides not to have a child or children with reasons including the opportunity to pursue careers and self-fulfillment; this has become normalized with little irritation or concern by the public. Contrary in developing societies especially in Africa childlessness connotes a multitude of adverse implications as the society predicates marriage essence on procreation; therefore, a childless couple tends to lose their place within society with dire informal social sanctions melted at them. While several studies have documented how involuntary childlessness is perceived in some societies and the multitude of adverse consequences suffered by affected individuals, some other studies have also examined the tendencies of voluntary childlessness, studies have not made a clear perception of childlessness across the two continents of Africa and Europe. The paper presented three theoretical perspectives explaining childlessness ;the Second demographic’ theory was adumbrated by Lesthaeghe and van de Kaa, Preference theory by Catherine Hakim and symbolic interaction theory traced to Max Weber. From the secondary data analysis, it was found that fact there is a higher rate of accepted childlessness in Europe than in Africa. The paper, therefore, concluded that Childlessness though a global phenomenon differs in rate and acceptability in different continents. Whereas changing cultural norms and relationship patterns are disposing women into voluntary childlessness in developed nations, it is completely different in most developing societies, therefore any discussion on childlessness must be society focused.