Men varför vill du inte ha barn?

Sammanfattning: The aim of this paper is to examine how statements about voluntary childlessness are being contrasted to normative ideals of parenting. What constitutes the empirical material is a discussion forum on the Swedish website Familjeliv.se in which members interact with each other over different topics related to family, including voluntary childlessness. By using discourse analysis in two steps I first analyse how voluntary childlessness and normative ideals of parenting are being represented on the site, by looking into statements about experiences of voluntary childlessness. I also examine how norms about parenthood affect these positions. The focus in the second part of the analysis is how voluntary childlessness challenge or affirms normative ideals of parenting as it is represented on Familjeliv.se and how identities as voluntary childless are being formed in relation to norms about parenthood. I use theories about an “expected life-line”, gender roles and women’s and men’s roles in nationalistic processes. The empirical material is both the basis of the study but in the same time the result. This is so because I have noticed that two discourses are being constructed parallel to each other; one discourse that the members in the discussion forum on the site refers to and one that is being shaped in it self through the members statements. The conclusion is that the voluntary childless position is represented as exposed to stigmatization and therefore childless people have to defend themselves with a confrontational language on the site. However the norm about children is the opposite in the discourse that comes alive on the site itself. The expectation here is to not have children, which consequently means that voluntary childlessness challenges the norm about parenthood on the site. Something that affirms the norm about parenthood is when voluntary childless people regret their decisions and nevertheless decide to have children. Identities within the position as voluntary childless are being constructed in a broad field of tensions and contradictions.