The Modern Dads Podcast
#7: Baby Bust, Millennials Opting-Out of Parenthood with Guest: Stew Friedman
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- The percentage of college graduates planning to have children has significantly decreased from 80% in 1992 to 42% in 2012, with men now expecting their partners to be actively engaged in both family and career.
- Women are opting out of becoming mothers due to the perception that making a positive social impact through work and motherhood are in competition, highlighting the need for cultural and workplace changes to support men in their pursuit of work-life integration.
Deep dives
Changing attitudes towards parenthood
According to a study by Professor Stu Friedman, there has been a significant shift in attitudes towards parenthood between Generation X and Millennials. In 1992, 80% of college graduates planned on having children, whereas in 2012, only 42% had the same plan. The reasons for this change differed between men and women. Men no longer see themselves as the sole breadwinners and expect their partners to be actively engaged in both family and career. However, the increase in conflicts between work and family responsibilities has made the idea of fatherhood more daunting. On the other hand, women have become more focused on making a positive social impact through their work and are opting out of becoming mothers as they perceive these two goals as being in competition.
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