What is it about?
In this chapter I highlight how men who want/wanted/ are trying to become to be a dad are both invisible and silenced in society at large and the workplace in particular. Not becoming what society expects and individuals dream of, has a big impact on men's health and wellbeing.
Featured Image
Photo by Iz zy on Unsplash
Why is it important?
In this piece I show to show how not achieving the ideal of fatherhood impacts on men’s identity, sense of self, behaviours, health and wellbeing and social networks across the life course. The workplace is an area where people who do not fit socio-cultural norms and expectations are openly and secretly stigmatised and discriminated against through policy, working practices and everyday interaction between groups and individuals. I show how failing to acknowledge men’s experience of not becoming the dad they wanted to become greatly impacted on them and their employers.
Perspectives
I hope this chapter makes people think about men and reproduction in a different way. By recognising hidden and excluded groups such as childless men and women shines alight on the complex work-life issues that effect people across the different stages of their working lives.
Dr Robin A Hadley
Manchester Metropolitan University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Muted Voices of Invisible Men: The Impact of Male Childlessness, February 2024, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/978-1-80382-219-820241011.
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Resources
How is a man supposed to be a man? Male childlessness - a Life Course Disrupted.
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.
Complex fertility journeys and employment.
How workers navigate fertility challenges, including fertility treatment, alongside work and employment, and what employers can do to help.
Involuntarily childless men and the desire for fatherhood.
his 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.
‘It's most of my life – going to the pub or the group’: the social networks of involuntarily childless older men.
The social networks of older people are a significant influence on their health and wellbeing. Adult children are an important element in their parent's network and provide the majority of informal care. The morphology of personal networks alters with age, employment, gender and relationships. Not having children automatically reduces both vertical familial structure and affects the wider formal and informal social links that children can bring. Childless men are missing from gerontological, reproduction, sociological and psychological research. These fields have all mainly focused on family and women. This paper reports on an auto/biographical qualitative study framed by biographical, feminist, gerontological and lifecourse approaches. Data were gathered from semi-structured biographical interviews with 14 self-defined involuntarily childless men aged between 49 and 82 years old. A latent thematic analysis highlighted the complex intersections between childlessness and individual agency, relationships and socio-cultural structures. The impact of major lifecourse events and non-events had significant implications for how childless people perform and view their social and self-identity. I argue that involuntary childlessness affects the social, emotional and relational aspects of men's lived experience across the lifecourse.
Deconstructing Dad.
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.
“I’m missing out and I think I have something to give”: experiences of older involuntarily childless men.
The purpose of this paper is to extensively report the implications of the global trend of declining fertility rates and an increasingly ageing population. The experiences of childless men are mostly absent from gerontological, psychological, reproduction, and sociological, research. These disciplines have mainly focussed on family formation and practices, whilst the fertility intentions, history, and experience of men have been overlooked. Not fulfilling the dominant social status of parenthood provides a significant challenge to both individual and cultural identity. Distress levels in both infertile men and women have been recorded as high as those with grave medical conditions. Design/methodology/approach: The aim of this paper is to provide some insight into the affect involuntarily childless has on the lives of older men. This auto/biographical qualitative study used a pluralistic framework drawn from the biographical, feminist, gerontological, and life course approaches. Data were gathered from in-depth semi-structured biographical interviews with 14 self-defined involuntary men aged between 49 and 82 years from across the UK. A broad thematic analysis highlighted the complex intersections between involuntary childlessness and agency, biology, relationships, and socio-cultural structures. Findings: Diverse elements affected the men’s involuntary childlessness: upbringing, economics, timing of events, interpersonal skills, sexual orientation, partner selection, relationship formation and dissolution, bereavement, and the assumption of fertility. The importance of relationship quality was highlighted for all the men: with and without partners. Quality of life was affected by health, relationships, and social networks. Awareness of “outsiderness” and a fear of being viewed a paedophile were widely reported. Research limitations/implications: This is a study based on a small self-selecting “fortuitous” sample. Consequently care should be taken in applying the findings to the wider population. Originality/value: Health and social care policy, practice and research have tended to focus on family and women. The ageing childless are absent and excluded from policy, practice, and research. Recognition of those ageing without children or family is urgent given that it is predicted that there will be over two million childless people aged 65 and over by 2030 (approximately 25 per cent of the 65 and over population). The consequences for health and social care of individuals and organisations are catastrophic if this does not happen.
‘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.
‘Male broodiness: Does the desire for fatherhood affect men?’
The objective of this study was to assess the level of the desire for parenthood (broodiness) in childless men compared to non-parents and parents. Parenthood brings a high social status. The majority of studies examining reproductive intentions and behaviour have concentrated on women and couples. However, there are very few studies exploring men’s desire for fatherhood. This study is a sequential quantitative-qualitative mixed-methods online survey on the influences, motivations, and reasons for men and women’s desire for parenthood. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive, univariate and bivariate techniques. Qualitative data were analysed using a latent thematic analysis. Recruitment was by the snowball email method. The sample was formed of 232 respondents with a mean age of 41.37 years (SD = 10.83), a central tendency of female, the majority were White British, degree educated, professional, and heterosexual. The main finding identified non-parent females and males showed similar levels of desire for parenthood with females scoring slightly higher than males. A higher number of childless men desired parenthood (51.9%) than did not (25.9%). For non-parents economic and social factors were the main influences on the decision for parenthood. Female and male parents demonstrated an equal desire not to repeat parenthood. The results from this study did not support the hypothesis (and common belief) that men are not interested or affected by the desire for parenthood. Compared to equivalent women, childless men may experience higher levels of depression and isolation.
‘Male broodiness: is it a thing? An exploration of men’s desire for fatherhood.’
Fertility 2024 Conference: E-poster. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of the desire for parenthood (broodiness) in childless men compared to non-parents and parents. 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. Methods: This study used a sequential quantitative-qualitative mixed-methods online survey to reveal the influences, motivations, and reasons for men and women’s desire for parenthood. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive, univariate, and bivariate techniques. Qualitative data was analysed using a latent thematic analysis. Recruitment was by the snowball email method. The sample was formed of 232 respondents with a mean age of 41.37 years (SD = 10.83), a central tendency of female, the majority were White British, degree educated, professional, and heterosexual. Results: The main finding identified that the childless respondents showed similar levels of desire for parenthood with women scoring slightly higher than men. A higher number of childless men desired parenthood (51.9%) than did not (25.9%). For non-parents economic and social factors were the main influences on the decision for parenthood. Mothers and fathers demonstrated an equal desire not to have another child. Conclusions: The findings from this study did not support the hypothesis (and common belief) that men are not interested or affected by the desire for parenthood. Compared to equivalent women, childless men may experience higher levels of depression and isolation.
‘Anxious Childhood Attachment Predicts Childlessness in Later-life.’
The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that childhood attachment predicts whether a person has children in later life. Although being a parent is considered a typical part of the human life cycle in most parts of the world, childlessness has increased substantially in recent decades in developed parts of the world. It is possible that insecure childhood attachment has contributed to this phenomenon, but this hypothesis has been relatively little explored. This study is a cross-sectional survey of 394 men and women aged over 50 years old, stratified by geographical UK region from a research panel, and analysed using hierarchical logistic regression. Validated measures of childhood attachment and other psychological and demographic factors were used. The main finding was that, independent of the impact of other variables (age, sex, education level, marital status, life stress, health-related quality of life, mental positivity, and avoidant attachment style), people who were childless were significantly more likely to have developed an anxious attachment to their primary caregiver in childhood. This study is the first to demonstrate the significance of anxious childhood attachment as a predictor of producing children in one’s lifetime.
The impact of male involuntary childlessness.
The implications of the global trend of declining fertility rates and an increasingly ageing population have been extensively reported. Childless men are, compared to women, missing from gerontological, psychological, reproduction, and sociological research. These fields have mainly focussed on family formation and practices with the fertility intentions, history, and experience of older men being overlooked. Over the past 15 years, research literature on both involuntary childlessness and ageing has highlighted the paucity of material on men’s experience. Infertility research has shown that failure to fulfil the status of parenthood may lead to a complex form of bereavement and is a significant challenge to identity. In the past three decades, there has been an escalation in the research and general literature surrounding fathers, fathering and fatherhood. Recent research into contemporary grandparenting has highlighted the intricacy and importance of intergenerational relationships to grandfathers. Drawing on my auto/biographical PhD study, this piece examines how 14 self-defined involuntarily childless men managed non-fatherhood. The findings demonstrated the complex intersections between the men’s attitude to childlessness, fatherhood, and non-fatherhood across the life course. The actions and attitudes of the men as they negotiated the movement from pre-transitional to a post-transitional stance towards fatherhood, demonstrated the different strategies each adapted in order to negotiate their procreative remit. This study countered the stereotype that fatherhood is not important to men and challenges research that reports that men are not affected by the social, emotional, and relational aspects of involuntary childlessness.
‘The lived experience of older involuntary childless men.’
The implications of the global trend of declining fertility rates and an increasingly ageing population have been extensively reported. This piece examines the complex intersections between men's experience of involuntary childlessness and agency, structure, and relationships. Childless men are, compared to women, missing from gerontological, sociological, infertility, and psychological research. These fields have 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. This piece draws on my doctoral study framed by biographical, life course, gerontological and feminist approaches. I explore the factors that influenced the 14 participants' routes to involuntary childlessness. Findings countered the stereotype that fatherhood is not important to men and challenges research that reports that men are not affected by the social, emotional, and relational aspects of involuntary childlessness. I will offer how my research has influenced my own identity.
‘Behind the buffers: ‘How is a man supposed to be a man? Male childlessness a Life Course Disrupted.’
Men are a bit fascinating yet their lived experiences – especially when it comes to not reproducing – are seldom told. For example, many childless men say they are the ‘end of the line’ (see Webb and Daniluk, 1999). There again, I am biased as my MA (Hadley, 2008) and PhD (Hadley, 2015) focused on male involuntary childlessness. However, my experience of researching into the impact of unwanted male childlessness has identified both the paucity of material on the subject and the need for these men’s voices to be heard (Throsby and Gill, 2004).
‘Navigating in an Uncharted World: How does the desire for fatherhood affect men?’
This self-funded MSc study originated from a previous qualitative study into the issues surrounding involuntarily childless men. That study indicated that involuntary childlessness affected men's behaviour, mental health, relationships, and identity. The results reflected the findings of female and male infertility studies. One of the outcomes of that study was the absence of any indication of the level of desire for parenthood (‘broodiness’). In order to establish whether it was feasible for further research to be carried out it was necessary to attempt to determine the incidence of, and desire for, parenthood in females and males, both non-parents and parents. I am defining broodiness as the behaviours, emotions, thoughts, and yearning for biological parenthood.
The rise of the new ‘M.A.W.F.I.A’: Men Ageing Without Family: Invisible and Alienated
Poster. Background: The implications of the global trend of declining fertility rates and an increasingly ageing population have been extensively reported. It is estimated that in the UK by 2030 there will at least 2 million people aged 65 ageing without children. Within this figure it is fair to say at least 25% of will be men who are not fathers and an unknown percentage of men who have lost contact or are estranged from family. Childless men are mostly excluded from ageing, social science and reproduction scholarship and almost completely absent from most national statistics. Objectives: To show the impact of childlessness on men’s health and social wellbeing across the life course. Methods: Based on my doctoral auto/biographical qualitative study using a pluralistic framework drawn from the biographical, feminist, gerontological and life course approaches. In-depth biographical interviews were conducted with 14 men, aged between 49 and 82 years. Findings: The impact of the ‘non-transition’ to fatherhood had significant implications for the childless men in how they performed and viewed their social and self-identity. Diverse elements affected the men’s involuntary childlessness: upbringing, economics, timing of events, interpersonal skills, sexual orientation, partner selection, relationship formation and dissolution, bereavement, and the assumption of fertility. The importance of relationship quality was highlighted for all the men: with and without partners. Quality of life was affected by health, relationships, and social networks. Awareness of “outsiderness” and a fear of being viewed a paedophile were widely reported. The men were socially and structurally excluded.
Men and the desire for fatherhood: the effects of male broodiness on involuntarily childless men
This is a published conference abstract of a presentation at 5th International Conference on Psychology, Counselling and Education 2023. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of the desire for parenthood (broodiness) in childless men compared to non-parents and parents. 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. This study is a sequential quantitative-qualitative mixedmethods online survey on the influences, motivations, and reasons for men and women’s desire for parenthood. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive, univariate, and bivariate techniques. Qualitative data were analysed using a latent thematic analysis. Recruitment was done via the snowball email method. The sample was formed of 232 respondents with a mean age of 41.37 years (SD = 10.83), a central tendency to be female; the majority were White British, degree-educated, professional, and heterosexual. The main finding identified that non-parent females and males showed similar levels of desire for parenthood, with females scoring slightly higher than males. A higher number of childless men desired parenthood (51.9%) than did not (25.9%). For non-parents, economic and social factors were the main influences on their decision to parent. Female and male parents demonstrated an equal desire not to repeat parenthood. The results from this study did not support the hypothesis (and common belief) that men are not interested in or affected by the desire for parenthood. Compared to equivalent women, childless men may experience higher levels of depression and isolation.
The impact of male involuntary childlessness on men’s health across the life course: implications for individuals, healthcare providers and practitioners
Slides of a presentation given at The Men’s Health World Congress 2023 (MHWC2023): The Men’s Health World Congress 2023 (MHWC2023), 11 December 2023 - 13 December 2023, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Introduction: There are more childless men than childless women yet there is a paucity of material on involuntarily childless men (ICM). This can be attributed to several factors, including historical and societal norms, gender roles and expectations, and research and publishing biases. The field of research and literature on infertility and childlessness has historically focused more on women’s reproductive health due to the perceived centrality of motherhood and the fallacy that men are not interested in reproductive intentions and outcomes. Consequently, there is limited empirical data and scholarly material available on this topic. What little there is has demonstrated how ICM can negatively affect health and wellbeing and have significant impacts on policies, public health and epidemiology in men’s health. Aim: The aim is to address the gap in knowledge and affect change in policy and practice. Methods: Based on research studies conducted in the United Kingdom: semi-structured interviews with older men and analysed using a latent thematic analysis and an online mixed-method survey of parents and non-parents on reproductive intentions. Results: This piece explores men’s lived experience of childlessness, and the factors that influenced their non-parenthood status and the impact it had on their health, finance and societal status across the life course. ICM are shown to be at risk of poorer mental and physical health behaviours, less likely to engage in health screenings and preventative care, have smaller social networks and informal care support—all increase with age. Conclusions: Key considerations include the development of public and workplace policies that address fertility issues and provide support for men; Understanding the prevalence and causes of involuntary childlessness in men is crucial for public health and epidemiology research; the impact on men’s mental health, leading to stress, depression, anxiety and bereavement and the development of improved communication and engagement strategies by healthcare providers and practitioners.
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