The Intent to Parent among Young, Unmarried College Graduates

Abstract

Issues surrounding intentions to parent are crucial given new reproductive technologies and increased infertility. Six hundred young, unmarried college graduates were interviewed concerning parenting plans. Coding categories, developed from their responses, were narcissistic concerns, societal concerns, generative concerns, attitudes toward children, and relationship concerns. Findings revealed a strong pronatalist bias that was supported primarily by narcissistic reasoning. The older men gave significantly more narcissistic and fewer generative reasons than did younger women. These results have important implications for family life education and family therapy practice.