Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Not available / text

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisor: Nancy Hazen-Swann. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1999. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-251).

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Marriage, Family, Human Development, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-44).

Qualitative research on education and aspirations has been produced with the sole focus on the reproduction of class inequalities within a White middle class structure. There has only been a handful of studies of analytic engagement with Black professional middle class parents' expectations and aspirations regarding their children's futures in Britain. This gap creates an opportunity for new research to gain deeper insight into what decisions and choices are made by Black professional middle class parents and bring to light important knowledge of professional middle class educational attainment. The research presented here explored how Black professional middle class parents’ construct strategic approaches towards creating better futures for their children within a predominantly White middle class structure. Drawing on primary data taken from interviews with 25 Black African and Black Caribbean middle class parents’ (half from African or Caribbean heritage) , this thesis analyses parents’ strategic decision making and navigation in an unequal playing field of education. Findings indicate adaptations of Bourdieu’s social, cultural and economic capitals to prepare and engage their children along certain pathways in order to create aspirational opportunities. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) it is argued that while class is very influential in explaining educational attainment, understanding Black professional middle class parents’ aspirations for their children requires a deeper understanding of race. Evidence from in-depth narratives provided an insight into parents' own biographies that were either originally working or middle class backgrounds in shaping their orientations to, and manner of engagement with, their children's futures. Drawing from the data middle class parents were beginning to be geographically mobile, moving out of inner London areas in search of a better quality of life for their children and a preferred school choice – with a higher quality of education found around the surrounding areas of London and the South East suburbs. Parents’ subjective biographies illustrated diverse parenting practices and values such as those sets of parents using their Christian faith to help build a solid foundation for moral values, self-confidence and respectability. The research offers new insights into the choices made and strategic approaches used to nurture high aspirations for Black professional middle class children’s futures.

This research involved the study of fifteen women who had their first child after the age of 30. By the use of an hour and half long unstructured interview it was discovered how these women experienced delayed motherhood, what problems they had and their coping strategies. From the transcripts of the interviews, the material was analyzed into 16 topics. From these 16 topics, 8 specific recommendations were developed to help women who delay having children in the transition to parenthood. The research concluded that although there are problems for women who delay having children, most women are content with their decision. They have developed strategies to cope with the problems they face. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philisophy (PhD) / This thesis examines the experiences of parents (both mothers and fathers) with mental illness. Following a tradition of sociology, this thesis is guided by the concepts of ‘generosity’ from Frank and ‘stigma’ from Goffman and ‘risk’ from Lupton. The thesis has gathered data from three sources. In-depth interviews with parents with mental illness are explored to gain an insight into their lived experiences of parenthood and mental illness. The national and state mental health policies on mental illness are analysed in order to assess their applicability to support services for parents with mental illness. The submissions to the Senate Select Committee Inquiry on Mental Health (2006) are also analysed to gain further information about the experiences of parents with mental illness based on a small number of submissions relating to their perspectives. Analysis of the data collected and assimilated in this thesis provides a clear picture of the troubled terrain faced by parents with mental illness. The narratives from the interviews reveal stories of long-term mental health issues for parents with mental illness whose parenting role is largely unsupported. Analysis of this data provides a greater understanding of how parents negotiate their parenting role within the context of socially prescribed notions, limited agency, and limited capacity due to a lack of support services for parents with mental illness. Analysis of mental health policies highlights the disparity between policy and practice. Whilst national mental health policies are now in place, parenthood continues to be overlooked through the continued medicalisation of people with mental illness, and policies that operate under an individualist and economic rationalist discourse.The motivation for this research was to elicit increased understanding and insight into how parental mental illness affects experiences of parenthood. This thesis focuses upon lived experience, social processes, and social policies relating to parents with mental illness. The specific contribution of this research to the sociology of mental health is that it documents for the first time parenthood as lived by parents with mental illness. Finally, it offers theories as to how the gaps in policies and services can be filled to support the ‘silent’ parents whose parenthood is so often unacknowledged the lack of attention paid to their mental illness.

No description available.