The lived experience of older involuntary childless men

Hadley, Robin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4254-7648 (2016) The lived experience of older involuntary childless men. In: Seminar Series 2016, The Faculty of Health and Social Care, The Open University, 16 June 2016, The Open University, United Kingdom. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Invited seminar presentation. Decreased fertility and increased longevity have major implications for both institutions and individuals regarding the future delivery of health and social care and pension provision. Robin Hadley’s talk will explore the experience of male involuntary childlessness and draws on material from his PhD. His qualitative study challenged the stereotype that the social, emotional and relational aspects of life without fatherhood do not affect men. He will highlight how childless men are invisible in most gerontological, masculinities, psychological, reproductive, and sociological research. These fields have mainly focussed on fatherhood, family and women, with the fertility intentions, history and experience of older men being over looked. Robin is currently working with the OU’s Dr Sarah Earle, Associate Dean Research & Enterprise Faculty of Health & Social Care. He was awarded his PhD in Social Gerontology by Keele University in December 2015. His PhD study, into the experiences of involuntarily childless older men, has received much international attention. Robin’s previous careers included roles as counsellor, deputy technical manager, scientific and technical photographer, kitchen assistant, and bar tender. Robin’s own experience and training as a counsellor led him to research into the desire for fatherhood in involuntarily childless men as part of his MA at The University of Manchester. He then followed this up with a self-funded MSc exploring the levels of broodiness in females and males, parents and non-parents.