Exploring Older Men’s Pathways to Childlessness in Hungary: Did the Change of Policy Regime Matter?

In many post?socialist countries, there is a strong social ideal that, in order to live fulfilled life, men and women should have children; thus “childfree” lifestyles are much less popular than North?Western Europe. this article, we explore factors leading childlessness among who were mostly socialized under state?socialist conditions the subsequent transition period by analysing 30 in?depth interviews conducted with heterosexual childless over 50 Hungary. Older interviewees grew up state socialism followed standardized life?course went through same events—including school, work, and, some cases, marriages. However, political change of 1989–1990 interrupted these life?courses. Our results show besides individual?level factors, macro?level connected political?economic early 1990s influenced our interviewees’ pathways childlessness. sense, can say that policy regime men’s choices, as most cases was interplay between individual? factors.