What is it about?
There is little research exploring the desire for fatherhood. In this study I interviewed 10 men about their wish to become a father. The men had similar experiences to those in, or who have had, infertility treatment. These included a sense of loss, depression, exclusion, isolation, and risk-taking behaviour. Over the life course the men also found ways to adapt and reappraise their beliefs concerning themselves emotionally, psychologically and socially. To help understand this process, gender-role therapy is presented as a possible approach for working with childless men.
Featured Image
Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash
Why is it important?
There is very little work on men's experience of not becoming a father yet there are more childless men than childless women. Not achieving the desired and/or expected parenthood status may lead to economic, emotional, psychological, physical and social issues.
Perspectives
I (Robin Hadley) carried out this research because I am a man who was desperate to be a dad in my mid-30's. I thought I was the only one who felt bad about not being a dad. However, a lot of men feel that way but find it difficult to talk. This article gives insight in to the range of experiences, thoughts and feelings about men and their wish to become fathers. Both Terry Hanley and I hope you find the work interesting and of use in your professional and personal lives.
Dr Robin A Hadley
Manchester Metropolitan University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Involuntarily childless men and the desire for fatherhood, Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, February 2011, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2010.544294.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Publisher's page
Publisher's page
Fisher, J., & Hammarberg, K. (2017). Psychological Aspects of Infertility Among Men. In M. Simoni & I. Huhtaniemi (Eds.), Endocrinology of the Testis and Male Reproduction (pp. 1287-1317). Cham: Springer International
Fisher, J., & Hammarberg, K. (2017). Psychological Aspects of Infertility Among Men. In M. Simoni & I. Huhtaniemi (Eds.), Endocrinology of the Testis and Male Reproduction (pp. 1287-1317). Cham: Springer Internation
Ageing Issues Blog: The Reflective Call of Carers Ageing without Children and/or Family: ‘Who will be there for me when I need it?
Blog by setting out the importance of needing more data about people ageing without children & their needs.
Pre-publication draft of 'Involuntarily childless men and the desire for fatherhood.'
A pre-publication draft of ' Involuntarily childless men and the desire for fatherhood.' May be slightly different from the published piece. How to cite: Robin Hadley & Terry Hanley, (2011). Involuntarily childless men and the desire for fatherhood, Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 29:1, 56-68, DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2010.544294 Objective: This study aims to explore the experience of childless men and the desire for fatherhood. Background: There is little research exploring the desire for fatherhood, with most studies concentrating on couples in infertility treatment. Of those, the majority focus on the women's experience, a factor that may reflect the gender stereotype and cultural identification of childlessness to women. Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted. A convenience sample of 10 biologically childless men were recruited through the snowball method and interviewed individually. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were then analysed using Grounded Theory. Results: A core category, 'Lifescape's of childless men: enduring anticipation and expectation in an uncharted world', divided into three meta themes: Emotive Forces, Extant Agency, and Life Course. The desire for parenthood appeared to peak in the 30s, gradually reduced, but did not cease. The participants also revealed a sense of 'outsiderness' in familial, social, and work relationships. Conclusion: Involuntarily childless men reported similar experiences to those in, or who have had, infertility treatment. These included a sense of loss, depression, exclusion, isolation, and risk-taking behaviour. Over the life course the men also found ways to adapt and reappraise their beliefs concerning themselves emotionally, psychologically and socially. To help understand this process, gender-role therapy is presented as a possible approach for working with childless men. © 2011 Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology.
Book, '"How is a man supposed to be a man"? Male childlessness - a Life Course Disrupted.'
REVIEWS “I think this is an excellent piece of scholarship that covers an often unspoken topic in a sensitive, novel and comprehensive way. In this sense, it contributes important new knowledge to an area by considering it from a different viewpoint – most notably moving beyond a simple biomedical view or an experiential view of younger men and infertility.” • Steve Robertson, University of Sheffield “a ground-breaking book shining the light on men and their experiences, how men may feel when they don’t end up having children for one reason or another e.g. not meeting the right person, infertility.” • Guild of Health Writers “This book provides gerontologists with much needed insights into the lived experiences of male childlessness from a life course perspective embedded in critical theoretical approaches on normative life course expectations, ageing and gender, as well as family and social relations… Robin Hadley’s work is both critical and reflexive. He locates his theoretical work within feminist scholarship and acknowledges his position within the field of research by examining his own biography and social position and what that means when conducting interviews with men who describe themselves as involuntarily childless…The methods chapter can be added to reading lists for postgraduate students and the pen portraits of each of the interviewees are a rare and valuable source for learning about qualitative research and reflexivity.” • Aging and Society “The book has some features that make it interesting to readers from both a professional and a wider audience. First, it is very well referenced and equipped with details related to methodology of the study… It is well written, often in a personalised language, with accounts of the author’s experiences related both to the process of data collection and analysis and to the dissemination of results. The Epilogue particularly warrants attention, as it brings reflections not only on myths around men and masculinities, but also on childlessness in later life and COVID-19 –reflections that additionally illustrate the effects of not becoming a father.” • Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology “A highly personal book yet also an academic one with all the critical rigour that entails and makes this a compelling book. It’s a must read for illuminating men’s experiences of involuntary childlessness for one reason or another…This is a rich thought provoking emotional yet highly academic book – and with its clear structure and excellent index a huge resource to be drawn on.” • Medical Journalists Association “This is an important piece of work that addresses areas of masculinity, sexuality, life and an exploration of lived lives through research that have previously been underrepresented in the academic and public press.” • Josephine Tetley, Manchester Metropolitan University DESCRIPTION The global trend of declining fertility rates and an increasingly ageing population has serious implications for individuals and institutions alike. Childless men are mostly excluded from ageing, social science and reproduction scholarship and almost completely absent from most national statistics. This unique book examines the lived experiences of a hidden and disenfranchised population: men who wanted to be fathers. It explores the complex intersections that influence childlessness over the life course. How to cite: Hadley, R. A. (2021). How is a man supposed to be a man? Male childlessness - a Life Course Disrupted. New York: Berghahn Books.
‘Male broodiness: is it a thing? An exploration of men’s desire for fatherhood.’
The vast bulk of studies examining reproductive behaviour, intentions and outcomes focus on women and couples. There are very few studies exploring men’s desire for fatherhood – reflecting the myths that men are not concerned about reproducing and are fully fertile from puberty until death. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of the desire for parenthood (broodiness) in childless men compared to childless women, fathers, and mothers. In addition to the main presentation, I have provided additional material for people to who would like to know more about childlessness and its impact across the lifecourse. Guide to the eight poster tiles. About this poster: a key to the different poster sections Abstract: a brief overview of the research the poster is based on. Compendium of presentations: consists of ten tiles, the first three are PowerPoint (with video commentary) slideshows and the remainder are supporting material. Part 1: gives the background and aims of the study. Part 2: explores the methodology. Part 3: discusses the results and conclusions. References: a list of the references divided into three subjects: Literature; Methodology, and Ethics. Full Presentation: the three PowerPoint presentations in one downloadable PDF document. Poster Walk (E-poster): one-page poster summary of the study in landscape layout. Downloadable PDF. Traditional Poster: one-page poster summary of the study in portrait layout. Downloadable PDF. The academic paper from the study, 'Male Broodiness: does the desire for fatherhood affect men?' A bonus academic paper, 'The impact of male involuntary childlessness.' Disclosure statement. Traditional poster: a single sheet, downloadable version of the study in traditional poster format. Academic paper drawn from the study, 'Male Broodiness: does the desire for fatherhood affect men?' Book: reviews of my book and link to the publisher’s website. Resources on childlessness. Links to support for people who are childless by circumstance, chosen childless, involuntarily childless, and/or biologically childless. About the author: more information about me including my biography, contact details, links to my academic publications, newspaper articles, social media (Instagram Live; podcasts and YouTube video's) and social media (Blogs). Ethical approval The study was approved and conformed to The University of Manchester ethical policy. Disclosure Statement There are no conflicts of interest to declare. Funding The study was self-funded - no funding was received. This presentation was self-funded - no funding was received.
'Deconstructing Dad.’ Chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Male Psychology and Mental Health.
Pre-publication version. Fatherhood is seen as a natural right—a transition that is the ultimate sign that a man is virile, and bestows concomitant status, rights and privileges. The demographic, social, and economic changes across the last few decades have led to increased scrutiny of parenthood. Much of the focus is on fertility trends and the impact of childlessness for women. However, although there are more childless men than childless women, there is very little research literature on the impact of male involuntary childlessness.
‘No longer invincible’: the impact of involuntary childlessness on older men.'
Background: The global trend of declining fertility rates and an increasingly ageing population has led to increased scrutiny of parenthood. Although there are more childless men than childless women, there is very little research literature on the impact of male childlessness. The childless are absent from much social science literature, which has mainly focussed on family and women. Feminist studies into infertility and ageing have highlighted the absence of the male experience. Involuntary childlessness has been viewed as a complex bereavement formed by multiple losses. Distress levels in both men and women in this population have been found to be as high those with grave medical conditions. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine older men’s experience of involuntary childlessness. Methods: This piece draws on my qualitative auto/biographical doctoral study that was framed by biographical, life course, gerontological, and feminist approaches. Data collection involved in-depth semi-structured biographical interviews with 14 self-defined involuntary childless men aged between 49 and 82 years from across the United Kingdom. A latent thematic analysis highlighted the complex intersections between agency, biology, childlessness, economics, mental and physical health, relationships, and socio-cultural structures. Major findings: Findings countered the stereotype that men are not interested in reproduction. I argue that that involuntary childlessness should be considered as a significant factor in older men’s poor health and social capital. Conclusions: This piece challenges the common narratives that the social, emotional, and relational aspects of involuntary childlessness do not affect men.
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