Scholar Spotlight: Amy Blackstone
More people than ever are opting to forgo parenthood, discussing their choice openly despite lingering societal taboo. This week’s Scholar Spotlight is Amy Blackstone, whose new book, Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence, was released earlier this month. Amy, an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Maine, has been studying the childfree movement since 2008 and is a co-creator of the blog we’re {not} having a baby. Along with features in Today and Good Morning America, she has also published an OpEd for The Society Pages and recently appeared as a guest on Jefferson Public Radio.
Scholar Spotlight
Blackstone’s expertise lies in the areas of families, gender in the workplace, activism and volunteering, and qualitative research methods. In her latest research, a study of voluntarily childless adults, she seeks to make sense of the experiences of families without children in relation to community wellbeing, workplace and gender equality, sustainability, and what it means to be “a family.” Blackstone’s service at the University of Maine includes helping to promote community-engaged teaching and scholarship, and working to build and sustain University-community relationships.