Browsing by Author "Rabie, Cerise"

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    Exploring the identity formation experiences of a group of women who became mothers during adolescence
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Rabie, Cerise; Damons, Lynne; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept of Educational Psychology.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Early adolescent motherhood is an increasingly common phenomenon in South Africa, and worldwide. While teenage pregnancy is a well-researched occurrence, very few studies have collaborated with young mothers to reflect on their lived realities of early motherhood. In seeking to address the often marginalised voices of young women in the literature related to the phenomenon, this study collaborated with a group of women who had become mothers during adolescence, in the stories they tell about how their lived realities of early motherhood have influenced their identity formation in a historically marginalised community of the Western Cape. This exploratory study was embedded in the social constructivist, interpretive, and transformative paradigms, using a predominantly qualitative research design, more specifically, community-based participatory action research. Six co-researchers were intentionally selected by making use of purposive sampling with the help of a key informant from the community. Creative arts-based visual methods were used to elicit co-researchers’ lived realities by making use of the ‘river of life’, ‘photovoice’, collages and clay modelling. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional forms of face-to-face interactions had to be re-imagined through data generation methods that could be done online. This was a challenging but enriching experience that encouraged honouring the resources, limitations, experiences, and skills, both mine and of the co-researchers. The various methods and theories used in the study afforded triangulation, creating an opportunity to explore data from various vantage points; thereby adding to the rigour of the study. Thematic analysis revealed that the women’s experience of pregnancy in adolescence was complex and multifaceted, encompassing aspects of motherhood, identity, community, and resilience. The research findings reflect the daunting new role of motherhood for the young girls. The women identified various phases of identity and described their conflicts and struggles. The study showed each of the women on a journey to create a redemptive identity despite the adversity and marginalisation with which they had dealt. The results further highlight the influence that community factors, both negative and positive, have on the women’s lived experiences. The co-researchers, however, alluded to the fact that social support and religious awareness aided their personal growth, resilience, and meaning-making processes. Through this reflective process of the telling and retelling of their lived realities in new and creative ways, the study created a space for the co-researchers to re-imagine their identities. The data generated in this collaborative study added to the limited body of knowledge about how marginalised women inform their identities and has the potential to influence the way in which adolescent mothers are supported.