Author(s): Deidre Macken

Philosophy

This work explores the political and personal implications of the fertility debate and ponders the question, where have all the children gone? It is said it takes a village to raise a child - but what if the village has no children? Who would have thought that what we feared most - the looming population explosion - would suddenly become a case of population erosion? Today much of the developed world is failing to reproduce itself, and some countries are beginning to prefer it that way. In the 21st century, as fertility issues step out of the bedroom and take centre stage in the political arena, we are faced with a crucial challenge, how can we put children back on the agenda without sacrificing all the freedoms that women have gained? The story of the childless generation is largely one about women and, in particular, all the things that have impacted on women's decision to become mothers - be it the advent the Pill in the 60s, the reshaping of feminism in the 70s, or the myriad of economic opportunities, rampant capitalism, environmentalism, materialism, biological advances, media culture and the changing shape of family. "Oh No, We Forgot to Have Children" is an open, honest and unashamedly positive exploration of what can and must be done - in the workplace, in the home and by governments - and how women and men need to view their options so that we can start to redress not just the demographic balance but balance in our lives.