The end of babies? A mixed-methods study of narratives about the future, societal pessimism, and voluntary childlessness among Dutch adults

The proportion of adults who plan not to have children is undeniably increasing. This project is grounded in the assertion that understanding childfree motivations of contemporary adults requires that we consider how individuals reason about and experience ‘societal pessimism’ - the feeling that things are not quite right in the world - clearly distinguishing it from concerns about own future prospects. The goals of the project will be achieved using both panel survey data and in-depth interviews with Dutch adults.