A cross-cultural study of responses to childlessness

Cross-Cultural Research • Vol/Iss. 8 • Published In • Pages: 221-231 •
By Rosenblatt, Paul C., Peterson, Patsy, Portner, Joyce, Cleveland, Martha, Mykkanen, Arthur, Foster, Rose, Holm, Gail, Joel, Barbara, Reisch, Helen, Kreuscher, Carolyn, Phillips, Robert

Abstract

This study investigates responses to childlessness in a cross-cultural sample. Solutions to childlessness appear universal, and magico-religious-ethnomedical solutions seem the most likely to be tried first. Empirical analysis also shows that women are blamed for childlessness more often than men, which the authors suggest could be due to women’s lower status.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
HRAF Collection of Ethnography (paper/fiche)Researchers Own
Standard Cross Cultural Sample (SCCS)Researchers Own
OtherResearchers OwnMaterial from 22 societies was taken entirely from original texts.

Hypotheses (2)

HypothesisSupported
Magico-religious-ethnomedical solutions to childlessness will be more likely to be tried first than adoption or fosterage, divorce, or polygyny (224-5).Partially supported
Women will be more likely to be blamed for childlessness than men (227).Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: Jessie Cohen  Amelia Piazza  abbe.mccarter