ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author presents data showing that online communication can be a tool for interactive self-exploration and a safe haven in which the childfree (CF) identity could develop. She explores CF women's experiences online and used inter subjectivity and gender identity theories to discuss her findings. The author discusses the core findings of her qualitative data analysis, which generated four theoretical constructs: The CF identity is complex and dynamic; being a CF woman influences interpersonal relationships; CF-dedicated websites are powerful tools of communication; and for CF women, the personal is political. She examines the need to interact with accepting others was borne out in qualitative research, revolving around the notion of childfreedom as an identity and culture, its practitioners constituting a minority group. The rich personal and communal experience online was often in direct opposition to the restricted and superficial interactions about childfreedom they had in real life.
