Abstract:
The study explored teenage mothers’ narratives of their subjective experience as teenage mothers. The research draws on social constructionist theory to theorize and deconstruct teenage pregnancy as a social problem. Eight teenage mothers’ between the age of fifteen and nineteen years old were interviewed through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through thematic content analysis. The key themes that emerged in the study were around getting the news about the pregnancy, giving birth and life thereafter, being at school and rising beyond the stigma of being a teenage mother. It was also found that dominant discourses in society played a pivotal role in teenage mothers’ construction of the self and their experiences of being marginalised from mainstream society. Despite some of the challenges encountered, the participants were all able to persevere towards their goals and aspirations such as performing well academically and developing a clear sense of self. The report concludes with recommendations are implications for future research.
