This study aimed to investigate teenage mothers’ experiences of motherhood and their internal representations of their infants and the relationship between them. In addition, this study aimed to investigate whether there was a connection between teenage mothers’ experiences of parenting and their internal representations of their infants and the relationship between them. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, adapted from the Parent Development Interview and the Working Model of the Child Interview, four teenage mothers from Alexandra were interviewed. The data collected from these interviews was analysed using narrative analysis through the hermeneutic lens of psychoanalytic attachment theory. From the analysis, this study found that teenage mother’s experiences of motherhood were marked by challenge. The two main challenges faced by these young mothers were the tension they experienced between their identities as teenagers and their identities as mothers, and their struggle to provide for their infants and feel like good enough mothers. In addition, this study found that teenage mother’s internal representations of their infants included a representation of both the good baby and the bad baby, but, with the exception of one mother, their representations tended to remain split and the mothers seemed defended against their representations of the bad baby. In terms of their representations of the relationship between them, this study found that these teenage mothers’ representations of their relationship with their infants was lacking. These representations either consisted of a superficial representation of a good relationship between mother and infant, or no relationship at all. Finally, this study found that teenage mother’s experiences of motherhood and their internal representations of their infants and the relationship between them were connected. A number of factors that were found to influence both their experiences and their internal representations include their own mental states, their memoires of their own childhood and their representations of their caregivers, as well as the levels of social support they received. The study therefore concluded that teenage mothers’ experiences of motherhood and their internal representations of their infants and the relationship between them were connected, however further research is required to establish the causal relationship between these factors.

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Anthropology Department of Anthropology Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand March 2017 / This study explores the experiences of teenage pregnancy and motherhood among two generations of mothers living in Johannesburg, South Africa. This engagement with gendered subjectivity took the form of ethnographic fieldwork conducted with three older women (35 to 42 years old) who gave birth between the ages of 16 and 18; as well as five young women aged 18-19 who became mothers during their teenage years. Using a social constructionist framework, the study explores the gendered nature of teenage pregnancy by discussing the narratives of women before and after having their first child. It argues that gendered experiences of teenage pregnancy play a crucial role in local understandings and practices of good motherhood. In particular, being a good mother for the older women in the study meant doing their best as parents to prevent teenage pregnancy in the younger generation. The women saw this as the best way to safeguard their daughters’ social reputations and educational futures in a context that considers teenage pregnancy to be unacceptable. When their attempts at preventing pregnancy proved unsuccessful, the older women were cast as inadequate parents who were partly to blame for their daughters’ pregnancies. / MT2018

The research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for awarding the degree of Masters of Arts in Demography and Population Studies, 2017 / GR2018

This qualitative research aims to explore the daily life experiences of Malaysian unwed teenage mothers inshelter homes. The research is based on the thematic analysis of interviews with seventeen respondents agedfrom 12 to 18 years. Eight sub-themes described the experience of the unwed teenage mothers in the shelterhome and led to three overall themes: rules and regulations, relationship with the staff and relationship with theother girls at the shelter home. The findings indicated that the shelter homes involved were not fulfilling thestandard of the Malaysian national laws and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We stronglysuggest that the authorities provide a clear guideline concerning the implementation of Malaysian national lawsand United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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The present study explored the psychosocial and educational implications of teenage pregnancy for a group of school going mothers. A questionnaire was administered to 20 teenage mothers who are school going. These mothers attended a traditionally African school and are in grade 12. Issues covered by the questionnaire were subjects' prior exposure to sexuality education, attitudes towards such education in schools, the role played by their parents in imparting sexuality education to them, social-emotional-health and educational risk factors of teenage mothers. Possible support structures were also explored. A high percentage (85%) of the sample did not receive sexuality education from their parents. The main source of sexuality education was their peer group. All of the sample experienced socio-psychological risk factors such as shock, anxiety, frustration, loneliness, depression and guilt. These were experienced both during and after their pregnancy. · Results indicated that the subjects' prior exposure to sexuality education was inadequate They also experienced a lack of social and psychological support. The attitude of subjects was that they favour the introduction of sexuality education into traditionally African schools In conclusion, it is hoped that the study will assist educators to gain insight into the needs and problems of teenage mothers. There is an urgent need of guidance and support for teenagers in traditionally African Schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

Adolescent pregnancy has been of longstanding societal concern primarily because of the inability of most young mothers to provide adequately for their infants. Depression often results in disengagement from mother-child interaction. Adolescent mothers identified as depressed are at increased risk of future psychopathology, with additional deleterious effects on their infants&rsquo / lives. The purpose of this study was to explore adolescent mothers&rsquo / experiences of motherhood and memories of feeling depressed during or after the birth of their babies. The first aim was to explore the young women&rsquo / s experiences of mothering, by focusing upon the practice of being a mother. The second aim was to explore the young women&rsquo / s experiences of depression, by focusing on their physical behaviour and emotional experiences. The third aim was to explore their perceptions of the causes of their depression. The rationale for this study was that these issues will further enhance the body of knowledge available to practitioners working with adolescent mothers. It will also provide a source of insights and hypotheses for preventive intervention research. The study was located within a feminist standpoint framework that begins from the perspective of women with the aim to explore women&rsquo / s accounts of their experiences in relation to depression as an important source of knowledge. A qualitative research design and methodology was employed in the region of the Western Cape. Eight adolescent mothers between the ages of 16 and 19 were recruited and interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured and consisted out of open-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis of data was carried out. The findings of this research yielded some interesting areas for future research and implications for treatment and intervention with first-time adolescent mothers. The adolescent mothers in this study experienced similar depressive symptoms to adult mothers in previous research. All the participants revealed that they feared their parents&rsquo / disappointment in them for being pregnant. This factor contributed to their depression, because they received very little (if any) support from their parents or the father of their baby. The participants discussed that their pregnancy or giving birth was linked to various aspects of themselves that they had lost as an adolescent. Before they received counselling, none of the participants understood why they experienced depressive symptoms or what was happening to them at the time after their pregnancies.

<p>Teenage pregnancy and motherhood is a challenging phenomenon worldwide. The goal of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions and experiencesof a sample of teenage girls about pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The objectives of the research were to engage voluntary participants in autobiographical &quot / life stories&quot / and semi structured interviews relating to the phenomenon being studied / to analyze the qualitative information and do a literature control of the findings and compare and verify and make appropriate conclusions and recommendations.</p>