I am a PhD student and representing a group of people that I am studying
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I have working and studying in midwifery and psychology and have undertaken a number of studies about male childlessness. However, there is not data about the number of men who do not have offspring. Other countries such as Norway and others, have approximate data for childless men, however, Australian population data does not include men. There is speculation that there might be equal or more childless men than childless women, but we don't really know unless we ask men. Thank you.
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data on childless men incorporates more areas of interest than population statistics
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other also includes culture i.e. different cultural groups of men who are childless within the Australian population
Assessment Criteria 1
1.
This topic is of current national importance.
National Importance
Childlessness is not new, yet the number of childless individuals seems to be increasing. Much of our data tends to focus on women. Incresing research shows that not producing offspring can have psychosocial consequences for men and women, yet we still don't really know how many men in Australia are childless.
Data on male childlessness and female childlessness has implications to health professionals, mental health professionals, local and federal policies, rebates, Assisted reproductive technologies and so forth
Data on male childlessness is poignant for any research on male childlessness, and reasearch that involves the reproductive realm.
Assessment Criteria 2
2.
There is a need for data from a Census of the whole population.
For whole population
Data on male childlessness is very much needed for :
- general population data,
- cultural perspectives with data on men who are childless from different cultural backgrounds,
- association of age / sexuality / relationship/marriage / work data with childlessness
Assessment Criteria 3
3.
The topic can be accurately collected in a form which the household completes themselves.
Easy to answer
The question could be the same for women and men, so as not to impose gender bias.
e.g. Have you produced offspring?
Do you have children? [this can be ambiguous with men and women say they have children, but the children might be stepchildren, adopted childcare etc]
As men may not know or unsure or not told if they have offspring, they only would need to tick a box:
Yes/No / unsure/
How many? including zero 0/1/2/3/4/5 .../ 10
Biological / adopted / fostered/ stepchildren ?
Assessment Criteria 4
4.
The topic would be acceptable to Census respondents.
Acceptable
The question of 'do you have children?' may be potentially personal and sensitive to some men. Yet, the question is asked of women and can be equally personal and sensitive.
There are some men who would be pleased to be acknowledged in reproductive questions. Not dismissed and left unacknowledged.
Like women, some men may not answer with honesty. Not all women answer with honesty.
Assessment Criteria 5
5.
The topic can be collected efficiently.
Collected efficiently
As far as I can understand the question should not be difficult to code and can be linked with other census data. The questions are quite straightforward.
Assessment Criteria 6
6.
There is likely to be a continuing need for data on this topic in the following Census.
Continuing need
The topic of male childlessness is indeed relevant and is likely to continue to be of interest in the future. I would suggest that might become standard questions as it is for women, to identify trends and comparisons to ther other countries and changing social trends within the Australian population.
Assessment Criteria 7
7.
There are no other alternative data sources or solutions that could meet the topic need.
No alternatives
There is incomplete or no data on male childlessness in the Australian population that I am aware of.
Any further comments?
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Further comments
From the research and work that I have completed so far [psychology PhD, hons dissertation, midwifery work in reproduction], there are men who would like to be recognised to feel part of the Australian population.
Thank you