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There is no abstract available for this thesis. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-195). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

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HIV and AIDS is still a major problem especially in Sub Saharan Africa. The levels of new infections are still relatively high which implies that the numerous national and international efforts to curb the transmission of HIV are not having the desired effect. Furthermore, the accelerated rate of teenage pregnancy is also indicative of the failure of these efforts. The high teenage pregnancy rate suggests that many teenagers do not practise safe sex. This could be attributed to the many pressures teenagers experience regarding sex and sexuality. Teenage mothers are likely to experience the same or double, the pressure and I was curious to understand their stance on unsafe sex practises especially after having a baby. This research study elicits an understanding of how these young mothers construct, present and negotiate their sexuality within the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Issues of sex and sexuality in relation to gender roles, gender identities, constructions of sexuality and teenage motherhood were investigated. The findings reveal two key points: regret inspires determination to succeed and that love and romance are dominant discourses in the construction of sexual risk among teenage mothers within the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. All the teenage mothers in this research study indicated that completion of their studies should have taken priority to motherhood. Even though most of the participants in this study acknowledge that love and romance are essential, they are now more cautious and either abstains from sex or practise safe sex. This research study has found that the hardship and responsibilities associated with motherhood have served to motivate these participants to change their risky sexual behaviour and verifies Burr’s (2003) social constructionist perspective by showing how identity is fluid and context dependent, relying on social interactions and experiences. / Theses (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The purpose of this study is to identify how low-SES women who are providing primary childcare for children ages 0-10 experience higher education. In-depth phenomenological interviewing combined with document analysis were the methods utilized. This exploration used a purposive/ snowball sample of low-SES mothers who were making satisfactory progress toward a degree. Participants were screened using the following inclusion criteria: enrolled at least half-time, degree-seeking, minimum 2.5 G.P.A., Pell eligible and first-generation, had one or more children ages 0-10 living in the home. There were seven total participants in the study. Five themes emerged from the participant data: support systems, lack of college preparation, family as a priority, education as self-fulfillment, and balance. The themes were consistent with the findings in the literature. Each of the participants had full and busy lives with multiple responsibilities necessitating, for the most part, a part-time schedule as a student. None of them had entered community college directly out of high school and if they had attempted higher education immediately following high school at another institution, they were unsuccessful. Independent students are most clearly different from their dependent counterparts in their family and work responsibilities and this was found to be absolutely true for the participants in this study whose primary responsibility was to their family and that their pursuit of higher education was something they were doing to further their family’s future. While participants indicated that education was partially for self-fulfillment, they viewed this as an almost unexpected positive side effect of the path to a better job, higher income and benefits to themselves and their children. The “good mother—bad mother” dualism that is a part of our cultural script was evident in the self-sacrificing long-term goals and daily routines of the participants. / Department of Educational Studies

The objective of this study was to inquire into the educational experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescents enrolled in a pregnant minor program and represent their voices by documenting this inquiry. This is a qualitative study that utilized phenomenological perspective and included a series of three in-depth interviews with six pregnant and parenting students. The focus and aim of the study was to represent the participant's voices on their educational experiences. The participants were pregnant teenagers attending a program in Southern California in the United States of America.