Dispelling Community Stereotypes: Childfree Doesn’t Mean Carefree
January 31, 2023
Hosted by Christine Erickson
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Guest Information
Episode Description
In this episode we are going to address some prevalent social stereotypes most often, projected onto people without children, in general, and specifically from the perspective of Kimberly Martinez Phillips, who is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Sociology Department at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her research and dissertation are focused on single, never-married, childfree women of color. Many of the women interviewed are childfree, but that does not mean their lives are carefree. Her analysis utilizes the perspectives of feminist standpoint theory and decolonial feminism through an intersectional lens. In alignment with many of the key focus areas of New Legacy Institute, we will discuss the many presumptions of a childfree life being equated to a carefree or responsibility free life. We will delve into the expectations and realities of people without children becoming caretakers for parents or other family members, and the social and economic realities of being single and not having children. We will also address the gross misconceptions that human characteristics such as being nurturing and having empathy, among others, are exclusive trait of mothers and parents. Join us live for this conversation addressing some of the poignant issues for our community, and for the opportunity to learn from the rich dissertation research outcomes Kimberly Martinez Phillips will share with us in this special follow up episode.
New Legacy Radio
Tuesday at 10 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
New Legacy Radio is a social justice platform about people without children. This space is intended to bring visibility and change to our experiences, to connect with our allies and anyone committed to learning more from our community, which is reaching an estimated one-third of the global population. The show addresses the social, systemic, and structural realities perpetuated by reproductive and relational identity bias. We discuss the impact of pronatalist behavior and policies, through the perspectives of our community and allies, as we work to achieve meaningful change that recognizes the truly diverse, intersectional continuum of our experiences. New Legacy Radio is brought to you by New Legacy Institute (NLI), which is policy institute, focused on the global culture and impact of pronatalism. The Institute’s social justice advocacy serves the growing, global community of people without children. NLI’s mission is to generate constructive change in cultural, organizational, and institutional policies that exhibit biases against people without children.
Christine Erickson
Christine J. Erickson is the founder of New Legacy Institute (NLI), the only institute focused on the global imposition and real-world impact of pronatalist constructs and policy, and the lived experiences of people without children. NLI advocates for equal individual protections across reproductive and relationship experiences (and beyond), as an urgent and foundational change in social policy. Christine is an experienced leadership advisor, entrepreneur, and policy advocate with vast, diverse global experience. She holds an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
