Dr. Kristin Park, associate professor of sociology at Westminster College, will advise on the film, "Childless by Choice: Love Stories," a documentary that will focus on the thoughts and experiences of voluntarily childless couples. 

"The filmmaker, Laura Scott, read my research to provide her with background on the topic, and we interacted as she was forming her survey and interviewing questions," Park said.  "I will be more formally interviewed early this summer for the film and the companion book." 

The film, which will be produced by Salt Whistle Bay Productions in Roanoke, Va., does not have an exact completion date. 

Park also recently learned that her article, "Choosing Childlessness: Weber's Typology of Action and Motives of the Voluntarily Childless," will be published in "Sociological Inquiry."

"The existing sociological study of motivations for voluntary childlessness has remained primarily at a descriptive level," Park said.  "In this article I do theoretical analysis, based on in-depth interviews, of the motives of voluntarily childless women and men, using a classical theory of social action developed by Max Weber.  The dominant motives that I discovered included concerns about parenting abilities, career considerations, and a desire for an adult-oriented lifestyle.  I examine gender differences in the motives that were articulated, and also briefly explored the motives that my respondents attributed to parents for their parenting decision."

Park, who has been with Westminster College since 1993, earned her undergraduate degree from Colgate University, and her master's and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She has been previously published in "Sociological Perspectives" and has delivered papers to several organizations.

For more information, contact Park at (724) 946-7251 or e-mail kpark@westminster.edu. 

Dr. Kristin Park