Can childfreedom be seen as an act of resistance? : An analysis of its effects on individual identity and the norm.

Abstract: This thesis explores untheorized themes of pronatalism and childfreedom in Lithuania. Through an analysis of interviews of childfree women, I show the prevalence of a pronatalist norm in Lithuanian society, and how it’s challenged by the phenomenon of childfreedom. I examine women’s paths to childfreedom, the normative pressure they experience, and their views of their position. Pronatalist pressure transforms, when challenged by childfreedom, and especially when it is openly declared. I show that pronatalism is not easily challenged and childfreedom impacts both - the norm and the women, transgressing it. I argue that childfreedom can be seen as an act of resistance to the pronatalist norm, yet this view is restricted by significant limitations.