The "Pseudo" Parent Identity: Childless Couples, Animal Children, and Fertility Choices

• In Event: 374 - Regular Session. Human-Animal Interaction

Abstract

Using a posthumanist approach, this paper explores the “pseudo” parent identity formed by some childless people in relation to their companion animal “children” while considering the effect that this identity formation may have on maintaining fertility choices. Several research questions are explored: Do childless companion animal owners develop a “pseudo” identity counter to the animal that they label child? What kinds of role behavior are exhibited with enactment of the “pseudo” parent identity in relation to the animal? Does the “pseudo” parent identity support or maintain previous fertility choices within the family? The results will provide evidence on identity formation in relation to nonhuman animals while highlighting the effects of the “pseudo” identity on fertility choices within the family unit. While data collection and analysis is ongoing at this point, qualitative analysis of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with companion animal owning adults that either have human children or do not have human children is combined with quantitative analysis of an original survey of the same population.

Keywords: companion animal, childless, identity, surrogates, posthumanism

Author

• Andrea Laurent-Simpson, Texas Woman's University