Examining a non-conformist choice: The decision-making process toward being childfree couples

Abstract

The norm of parenthood in a heteronormative union expects individuals to become parents as a preordained milestone in their life-course. This norm emanates from the ideology of pronatalism that promotes procreation for the well-being of the individual, family and society. The present paper is set against varying yet converging manifestations of pronatalistism in India and Canada, as evident in the dominant discourses on family forms, and policies that reinforce the hegemony of the heteronormative nuclear family. Drawing on the conjoint narratives of thirty-six childfree couples based in cities of India and Canada, we explore the diverse processes that ultimately result in the decision to forego parenthood. The cross-cultural similarities and dissimilarities among various decision making pathways in turn reveal the complex interplay between individual agency and the overarching pronatalist habitus. This interpretation of the decision-making process to forego parenthood contributes to an understanding of non-conformist choices that are made.

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