Response to Discussion Leading

In response to James and Emily's fourth discussion question: "In the end, is the driving need to be fertile and conceive a mostly natural one, or one that is ingrained in us by society?," I think that these days, women are becoming less expected to become mothers and have children. Society used to believe that all women had to become mothers, that all women had to conceive and raise children, and that all women had to take care of the household. These days, things are completely different. While there are some people who still hold the belief that women must become mothers, raise children and take care of the household, society has changed and women are pursing a higher education and working jobs outside of their home. Many women do not have a desire to become mothers, and they will not give in to the pressure of anyone.

On the other hand, some women have pressure from their family members like sisters, cousins, or even good friends. When family members that are close to women such as their sisters become mothers, the rest of the family may start to question that women's choices and why she has not had a child yet, whether she is in a committed relationship or not. Mothers, aunts, sisters, and even cousins can have an effect on women who have no desire to become mothers, and they can try to push them into thinking about having a child when they don't want to have a child at all. I think that although society has changed and that many people are accepting of the fact that not all women want to become mothers and raise children, that some people, like mothers who want to become grandmothers, try to force their daughters to find the "perfect man" and start a family when that may not be their ideal life path at that point in time. I think that people need to be more respectful of women's choices and not try to push them into doing something that they do not want to do or becoming something that they do not want to be.