Children and risk: a qualitative study on Swedish IT specialists' transition to parenthood

In: Families, relationships and societies: an international journal of research and debate, Band 3, Heft 3, S. 443-457

Abstract

It is a commonly held belief among sociologists that the 'Western' world is developing towards increased individualisation. According to this individualisation thesis, processes of individualisation are linked to the development of a risk society and have profound effects on family life. Drawing on 20 in-depth interviews, this article explores the transition to parenthood among couples who are presumably at the front of individualisation processes (university-educated urban people with highly skilled jobs in the information technology field). The aim is to show that risk was a central theme in relation to parenting in two ways that are both linked to individual autonomy and the couple relationship. First, the decision to have a baby was considered a risk project. It was minutely planned, not least to avoid the risk of divorce or separation. Second, the changes in everyday life that took place with the birth of the child represented new kinds of risk, associated with lack of time and a changing economy of care.