Young mothers speak out: Young Pākehā women's experiences of motherhood.

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorBanks, Hannahen_NZ
dc.date.accessioned2008-03-13T09:33:58Z
dc.date.available2008-08-06T10:50:47Z
dc.date.issued2008en_NZ
dc.description.abstractEarly motherhood is a much debated and highly contentious topic. This research aimed to explore young Pākehā women's experiences of motherhood using a feminist qualitative framework. Twelve women, six current young mothers and six former young mothers, were interviewed via focus groups and individual interviews. The analysis revealed that Pākehā culture constructs young mothers as problematic because they challenge the 'traditional' family dominant in Pākehā culture. By having children prior to, rather than after, workforce participation and achieving economic independence, young mothers challenge the prescribed life trajectory for Pākehā women. The women in this study discussed both the positive aspects and the challenges they faced as young mothers. In contrast to common public perceptions and media representations of early motherhood as negative, motherhood positively transformed the women's lives. This was discussed in terms of ceasing destructive activities and gaining motivation to return to education. The young mothers in this study had flexible parenting styles, which allowed them freedom from Pākehā cultural pressure to 'do motherhood' in a particular way. As young mothers, the women had high energy levels and anticipated early future freedom from childcare duties to pursue their dreams. Challenges discussed by the women included incorporating unanticipated early motherhood into long-held life goals, feeling exhausted, having a lack of time for themselves and having too little support. Financial hardship, poverty, judgment and stigma surfaced as major challenges which affected all areas of the women's lives. However, the women also resisted this discrimination by using a range of strategies, which positions them as women with agency, challenging their representation within literature as passive victims. Young women will not use services where they perceive they will be judged for being who they are. As levels of support appear to determine how young women experience motherhood, services have a vital role to play in supporting young mothers. The findings of this study highlighted the complex and contradictory nature of the young mothers' stories, presenting a challenge to simple and stereotypical negative discourses of early motherhood.en_NZ
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationBanks, H. (2008). Young mothers speak out: Young Pākehā women’s experiences of motherhood. (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/2519en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/2519
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherThe University of Waikatoen_NZ
dc.rightsAll items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
dc.subjectYoung mothersen_NZ
dc.subjectPākehā cultureen_NZ
dc.subjectfeminismen_NZ
dc.titleYoung mothers speak out: Young Pākehā women's experiences of motherhood.en_NZ
dc.typeThesisen_NZ
pubs.place-of-publicationHamilton, New Zealanden_NZ
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychologyen_NZ
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Waikatoen_NZ
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Social Sciences (MSocSc)en_NZ
uow.date.accession2008-03-13T09:33:58Zen_NZ
uow.date.available2008-08-06T10:50:47Zen_NZ
uow.date.migrated2009-06-09T23:31:53Zen_NZ
uow.identifier.adthttp://adt.waikato.ac.nz/public/adt-uow20080313.093358en_NZ
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis.pdf
Size:
879.7 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Thumbnail Image
Name: thesis.pdf
Size: 879.7 KB
Kind: Adobe PDF
Collections
Masters Degree Theses