Experiences and aspirations of younger mothers (original) (raw)
Related papers
2019
Young mothers often experience long-term social disadvantage. This research examines how young Australian mothers (i) compare to older mothers in levels of social support and personal resources, and (ii) perceive and experience the quality and type of social support available to them. Statistical analyses of survey data from The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=5,087) is undertaken to compare the circumstances of young mothers (15-24 years old at birth of their child) and all older mothers (25+ years at birth of their child). Young mothers generally reported higher levels of social support, but poorer family relationships, and fewer personal resources (such as education and home ownership). In-depth interviews with nine young mothers (16-25 years at birth) in Southeast Queensland provided additional insights into how young mothers construct their sense of identity and experiences of motherhood. Young mothers often had difficult childhoods and strained relationships with ...
The British Journal of Social Work, 2020
This article focuses on interviews with ‘birth mothers’ who experienced successive losses of their children to public care in one local area of London, England. Interviews were conducted during a project partnership between a London borough and university staff, aiming to provide a localised, pilot support initiative which responded to mothers’ viewpoints. To ‘hear’ mothers’ own voices more clearly, we analysed interview transcripts using a methodology which separates out elements of how the interviewee tells her story, how she speaks about herself and about her relationships, taking into account surrounding social complexities and researchers’ reactions to the story. To explain how professionals could subsequently draw upon these ‘mothers’ voices’ for a pilot support initiative, we identify some ‘key messages for professionals’ from these interviews, including women wanting clear and honest communication between themselves and workers, and between staff; women often feeling ‘let do...
Review: “You don’t know half the story”: deepening the dialogue with young mothers in Australia
Journal of Research in Nursing, 2015
Young people, including teenage mothers, are often regarded as vulnerable, and reporting in this way by the general and academic media reinforces prevailing attitudes towards younger parents. The study reported aimed to give young women a voice – enable them to be heard. In doing so, it opens the discourse arising from young women themselves based on their experiences, their understandings and their sense making. The importance of this contribution is that it provides a counterbalance to pre-existing discourses informed by media and thus provides an opportunity to assess how far dominant attitudes can hold up to real-world experiences. The qualitative literature highlighted by the authors indicates evidence of the transformative opportunity that young mothering can offer, opening chances for a positive step change in a life course. However, this may not be realised when young mothers are living within societies where policies direct attention towards deficits and individual responsi...
Young mothers and the care system: Contextualizing risk and vulnerability
British Journal of Social Work, 2007
Although the UK has the highest levels of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe, and while adolescent mothering has received considerable recent attention from researchers, there is a paucity of research literature about the particular experiences of young women who become mothers in or following local authority care. Findings from our empirical study reveal the significance of risk and vulnerability faced by a group of fifty-five young mothers following their exit from care. This paper explores the impact of risk and vulnerability and also highlights that although pregnancy may not be a planned activity, young women demonstrate choice and rationality in their decision to become mothers.
Journal of adolescence, 2006
Previous research has shown increased vulnerability to teenage parenthood for young people with experience of local authority care. This study explored factors contributing to early pregnancy and parenthood among young people in and leaving care; the types of support available; and the extent to which services are perceived as accessible. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 63 young people. The study findings suggest that young people's experiences both prior to, and during care, influence their decisions in relation to pregnancy and impact on how they view and engage with services. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of recent changes in legislation and services throughout England.
2011
First and foremost I want to thank the women and men who graciously welcomed me into their homes and told me their stories. Without you, this study would not have been possible. During the somewhat winding journey to its completion, the study was discussed with many people and I am grateful to all who took an interest and asked thought-provoking questions. I am especially grateful to the people who acted as key informants and gave me their time to talk about the study in depth. Of many friends who cheered me on, two had a special role. Eileen Clarke generously and graciously gave me the benefit of her knowledge and wisdom about research and culture. Mary Ann Powell provided sustained, collegial support. My supervisors, Mike O'Brien and Michael Belgrave, provided different and complementary knowledge, insight and guidance about what turned out to be a more complex topic and a more difficult task than first envisaged. Their support is valued. I could not have completed this study without the unwavering backing of my husband, Michael de Haan, who was invariably patient and quietly optimistic, always believing that I could negotiate the challenges that I encountered. Thanks also to Robin and Hyun-Jin, Steffan and Laura, for your staunch support. I acknowledge with gratitude the financial support I received through a Social Policy, Evaluation and Research (SPEaR) scholarship from the Ministry of Social Development. This scholarship brought welcome opportunities to talk with others engaged in social research or interested in the topic of my study. In particular, I want to recognise the work and the expertise of the late Raewyn Good, SPEaR Project Advisor. vi vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Introduction Research questions Resilience Scope of the study A good start: a basic human right Structure of the thesis CHAPTER 2 The policy context Local landscape of formal and semi-formal support Demography of childbirth Meaning of family CHAPTER 3 Documenting resilience: From steel dolls to pathways to resilience Protective factors Individual attributes Family qualities Supportive systems outside the family The devil in the detail Family resilience Therapeutic perspective Structural perspective Situation focus Terminology: adversity; risk, 'steeling effects' Adversity Risk Risk chains and cascades Protective chains, steeling effects, inoculation, turning points Competence and good outcomes Context Self-efficacy The big picture viii CHAPTER 4 Support 55 Support: 'Complex to assess, to get right and to deliver' Engagement Effectiveness 62 Managing support Support for transition to parenthood Towards fieldwork Connecting resilience to support CHAPTER 5 Methodology and methods Methodology Narrative inquiry Methods Recruitment Ethical issues Reflexivity Analysis Process of analysis 102 CHAPTER 6 'Ready or not': preparing for parenthood 107 Emotional support and learning 109 'Hearing stories' 110 'My own midwife' 110 'Nothing you couldn't get out of a book' 114 'Not too sure' 117 Nesting 121 'A pressure cooker situation' 'Watching the money' 124 'Working harder'; 'saving up' 125 Paid Parental Leave 127 Income Support and tax credit 128 Ready or not? 129 CHAPTER 7 'Meeting the baby': childbirth and the first few days 131 Novice parents 131 ix The birth Childbirth and self-efficacy The 'invisible man' 'Consumed by breastfeeding' Support for breastfeeding Being 'looked after' A 'steep learning curve' 'In the deep end' 'Where's the manual?' First steps on a pathway to family resilience CHAPTER 8 'The constantness of it': the first three months 'The constantness of it' 'You just don't know' 'Nobody cares what I do with my day' 'Reining in spending' Financial support 'Out of the haze' Back to the workforce 'A life-changing experience' 'Doing it right' CHAPTER 9 The work/life balancing act: the first year 'Asking questions' Plunket 'Still the division of labour' 'Becoming a father' 'Feeling connected' Belonging 'I've just got to think what I actually want to do' 'Not a dollar spare' 'The next level' Avoiding the 'tipping point' 'Pressures' 'Someone to talk to' 'multidimensional, with several processes characterizing the family unit as a whole such as cohesiveness, flexibility, affective and instrumental communication, behavioral control, and so on' and 'family functions' which are 'important functions that families perform for their members and for society'. Patterson (2002a: 235) provides the following illustration: