Feminism and the wish for a child

The present study investigated the relationship between feminism and the intensity of the wish for a child, as well as the costs and benefits of having children in a sample of 184 female undergraduates. Feminism was negatively related to motivation for motherhood, and the perceived costs of child raising rather than perceived benefits accounted for this finding. Perceptions of mother's—not father's—level of nurturance and happiness of childhood seemed to influence eagerness to assume the role of mother in profeminist women.This article was presented as a paper to the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York City, April 1981. The author wishes to thank Susan Bram for her comments on an earlier draft.