Exploring black South African women academics' perspectives on the relationship between culture, education and parenting
Date
2016-07-28
Authors
Ambrose, Jacqueline Mina
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore black South African women academics’ constructions of
culture, mothering and education. The study further explored the relationships inherent
between these aspects. The study followed a qualitative design through the utilisation of
open-ended interviews that took place at a large urban public university in Johannesburg,
South Africa. Nine women in academia who were linked predominantly to the field of
health, who were of African descent and who had children between the ages of 0 and 18 years
old were interviewed. The results illustrated that the women used multiple sources in the
construction of their identities, some of which were congruent whereas between others there
were tensions. The largest influence in their constructions of their identities was their
religious affiliation, which took precedence over all other influences. At different stages of
life their diverse identities held various significances to the women. This study is important
because it is the first to investigate mothering in a low-risk African group
Description
Dissertation Submitted to fulfil the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Research (Psychology) by Dissertation Only