scholarly journals Balancing Dual Roles in the Face of Missing On-Site Child Care Arrangements: Lived Experiences of Breast-Feeding Student Mothers at Kyambogo University

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. p87
Author(s):  
Dr Elizabeth Opit ◽  
Dr Nabukeera Madinah ◽  
Ms. Namubiru Aisha

Through the use of a phenomenological approach this study explored lived experiences of breast-feeding student mothers in the face of missing institutionalized on-campus child care arrangements at Kyambogo University (KyU). Specifically, the study sought to; identify the missing institutionalized on-campus child care arrangements at the university, establish the dilemmas breast feeding student mothers experience in undertaking the dual roles of mother and student hood due to the missing institutionalized on campus child care arrangements at KyU and examine the effect of the missing institutionalized on campus child care arrangements on undertaking of academic activities by breast-feeding student mothers. A total of 10 breast feeding student mothers were interviewed and data was analyzed using themes. Results indicated that the following institutionalized on-campus child care arrangements were missing at Kyambogo University; adequately furnished baby care rooms, baby playgrounds, immunization and pediatric medical services, professional nannies, child care responsive; teaching time tables, teaching sessions, time frames for course work assignments, tests and examinations’ undertakings, and child care responsive-remedial lessons. Dilemmas of breast feeding student mothers’ in this scenario included choosing between; baby-sitting vs attending lectures, completing a lecture vs breastfeeding a crying hungry baby, undertaking child bonding activities vs undertaking academic activities, completing an exam or a test vs breast feeding a crying hungry baby, baby care vs attending academic group discussion and baby care vs completing a coursework assignment in time. Student mothers at KyU have devised means of coping and have learnt how to resolve the tension of combining motherhood and education in an academic environment without on-campus childcare arrangements so as to pave a brighter career and family future. Such strategies included; receiving child care support from family and student friends, use of privately hired nannies, ignoring one of the two roles, time tabling the activities for the two roles, creating extra time to read, and getting help from spouses. The voices of the interviewees revealed that when the two roles were in conflict, they would rather miss academic activities than abandon their babies especially in critical times like when the babies were sick. It was therefore recommended that KyU considers putting in place various instututionalised on campus arrangements as a critical resource that will enhance academic undertakings of breast-feeding student mothers in their pursuit of Higher Education.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Akomaning ◽  
Abigail Boatemaa Osafo

Student mothers in distance education programmes in Ghana have to combine family roles with work and academic pursuits. Therefore, this study sought to find out the challenges and coping strategies of student mothers at the College of Distance Education (CoDE) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Cape Coast Centre. In this descriptive survey, a questionnaire was used to collect data from 175 conveniently sampled student mothers attending classes at Cape Coast Centre, CoDE, UCC. The data collected was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. The findings from the data gleaned that majority of student mothers (a minimum of 71%) performed a lot of laborious non-academic activities daily in their homes and the combination of these roles with their academics pose a negative high effect on their family lives and academics. Unfortunately, the coping strategies they employed were, to a large extent, ineffective. Thus, student mothers have inevitable academic impediments that emanate from the non-academic activities they perform at home, posing challenges to their academic pursuit. Therefore, CoDE, in collaboration with the Counselling Unit of the University of Cape Coast should provide counselling services to these student mothers to be aware of the academic challenges and ways to effectively navigate these challenges to be successful.


Author(s):  
Karen P. Andres

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences, challenges, and complicated life of 12 mothers who are pursuing their collegiate degree in a state university while rearing and taking care of their children. Participants met the inclusion criteria of a student mother, which includes (1) a bonafide student of a tertiary state institution; (2) a biological mother; (3) residing with her child/children; and (4) willingness to participate in the inquiry. Three major themes emerged in the participants’ lived experiences, which include (1) hustles and bustles of student mothers’ life; (2) driving factors of student mothers; and (3) coping mechanisms of two-faced mothers. The findings revealed that the participants faced adversities and struggles as a mother and as students and remained more steadfast and more resilient in fulfilling their dreams to finish their collegiate degree and receive a university diploma. The lived experiences of the student mothers have established implications to policies in the university, which involves the creation of daycare centers inside the campus for the children of student mothers as well as the conduct of psychosocial debriefing and stress reduction programs by the Gender and Development (GAD) office for the student mothers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nádia Meinerz ◽  
Débora Allebrandt ◽  
Agaítalo Vasconcelos Júnior

This article aims to describe changes in the routine of people with disabilities in face of Covid19 pandemic and the ongoing coping measures underway in the state of Alagoas, in northeast Brazil. Data from in-depth interviews with subjects marked by different experiences of visual, hearing, motor and intellectual impairment are analyzed here. Participants are part of an extension project, started in 2019, under the responsibility of the first author of this article. The project changed the routine of the university in face of the presence, circulation and engagement of bodies and minds that escape the conventions of normality in the academic space. The interactions, mediated by a series of applications of digital communication, addressed the following issues: 1) the loss of individual and/or family income resulting from the pandemic, and its impact on their material conditions of existence; 2) the emergence of new demands related to physical and mental health as well as changes in previous therapeutic strategies; 3) the characterization of access to communication technologies, the new possibilities and restrictions for maintaining extra-family bonds, such as contact with friends, participation in social mobilizations and in academic activities. In the analysis, we focused on the mutual dynamics of care, especially the engagement in support and assistance practices from family and friends. The attention to changes in the environment from the different collective demands in face of the pandemic exposes some displacements in the ways of embodying disability as well as the ability to give powerful responses to complex demands for adaptation. The intersection between different social markers of difference, like race, gender and class is also central to the identification of continuities, which involve the pre-existence of physical distance as a reality of disability.


10.17158/477 ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando B. Parantar

<p>The study specifically attempted to describe the essence of note-taking and the favorable and unfavorable experiences of the students who take and do not take notes. This work employed a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore and describe the experiences of two groups of college students who take and do not take notes. They came from the departments of Liberal Arts, Engineering, Pharmacy and HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) of the University of the Immaculate Conception, Davao City. The first group was composed of eight students who keep the habit of note-taking. The second group is composed of eight students without the habit of note-taking. The basis of selection of students to comprise the grouping was purposive. It was determined in the initial invitation that they either take or do not take notes and with the gauge of their open attitude to expressing or communicating their experiences clearly. The results of the study revealed that note-takers consider notes to activate the mind, to make learning personal, to help in test preparations, to complete their learning materials, and to work well with the visual and kinesthetic learners. On the other hand, non-notetakers unveiled their positions that notes were limiting and limited, burdensome, time-consuming, and unnecessary for auditory learners. The finding revealed that notetaking is both necessary and depending on the types of learners. For the visual and kinesthetic, it is indispensable; but for auditory learner it is not needed it. The study suggests that teaching strategies must adjust with the types of learners a mentor has. In addition, notetaking must not be a compulsory requirement of all students; it shall rather be taken just as one of the multiple ways of learning.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Education, essence, notetaking, qualitative, focused group discussion, learners, Philippines</p>


Author(s):  
Lise Kouri ◽  
Tania Guertin ◽  
Angel Shingoose

The article discusses a collaborative project undertaken in Saskatoon by Community Engagement and Outreach office at the University of Saskatchewan in partnership with undergraduate student mothers with lived experience of poverty. The results of the project were presented as an animated graphic narrative that seeks to make space for an under-represented student subpopulation, tracing strategies of survival among university, inner city and home worlds. The innovative animation format is intended to share with all citizens how community supports can be used to claim fairer health and education outcomes within system forces at play in society. This article discusses the project process, including the background stories of the students. The entire project, based at the University of Saskatchewan, Community Engagement and Outreach office at Station 20 West, in Saskatoon’s inner city, explores complex intersections of racialization, poverty and gender for the purpose of cultivating empathy and deeper understanding within the university to better support inner city students. amplifying community voices and emphasizing the social determinants of health in Saskatoon through animated stories.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-78
Author(s):  
Rahmad Nugroho ◽  
Waryana Waryana ◽  
Irianton Aritonang

Background: The problem of low exclusive breast feeding achievement in Indonesia is caused by social cultural factors, i.e. the minimal understanding of expecting mother, family, society, and health servant with the exclusive breast feeding. The husband’s and grandmother’s motivation will influence on successful breast feeding. Objective: This study is aimed to reveal the exclusive breast feeding achievement ang the role of grandmother. Method: This is an observational study. The researcher observes the society phenomena in Bangunjiwo Village, Bantul Regency. The subjects of the study are: 1) grandmothers aging ≥ 55 yeras old, 2) breast feeding mothers, and 3) Posyandu cadres. The data are collected by the focus group discussion, detail interview, and documentation.The instruments of the study are FGD, stationaries, tape recorder, and camera. The data are analyzed from the preparation of transcript, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. Results: the success of breast feeding is motivated by grandmother’s role, i.e. 1) suggesting, 2) motivating, 3) caring, 4) reminding when mother goes out, 5) giving the stored mother’s milk for working mother, and midwive’s explanation and training for expecting mother. Conclusion: The role of grandmother in exclusive breast feeding will increase: 1) mother’s understanding of breast feeding advantages, 2) mother’s awareness of exclusive breast feeding, and 3) mother’s attitude of exclusive breast feeding. Therefore, a breast feeding mother will be able to increase in practicing exclusive breast feeding by: 1) overcoming obstacles, 2) consuming balanced nutrition, 3) maintaning health and drinking herb. Finally, these will influence the succssful exclusive breast feeding.   Keywords: exclusive breastfeeding, The role of grandmother, mother’s attitude


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fariha Azalea

University is relatively considered a stressful moment in the life of students due to numerous academic workloads and academic activities. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that some university students are in emerging adulthood, a developmental period which is psychologically fraught with uncertainty, instability and identity issues among others. Added to these, the context of most universities like Cameroon which is marred with political, economic and social turbulence common to other developing societies in the sub Saharan region makes life unbearable. Looking at the challenges that confront tertiary education students in the third decade of life, increases possibilities of fears that they will founder thus narrowing the route to a blossomed transition into adulthood and through the university from home into the world of work. However, observations reveal that some have remained hopeful as they continuously believe in themselves and their worth. As such, they have resiliently shrugged off the vast burden placed on them by the adult society as they struggle intentionally with continuous efforts to succeed. Being hopeful and self-efficacy beliefs are observed to be some of the effective drivers that pull emerging adults through the storms of university transition thus facilitating positive development into subsequent life stages. Unfortunately just a paucity of literature albeit theoretically actually narrates via scholarly corridors the monumental successes recorded by students as they sail flourishingly through university in the midst of storms an in the third decade of life. This paper examines and addresses the foregoing through the lenses of some theories.


Author(s):  
Russell M. Harris ◽  
Russell A. Bors

We collected personal documents from various participants on the topic of "a personal experience in which you observed or experienced psychopathology." The protocols were "topical autobiographical" personal documents, which we analyzed using the procedures set forth by van Kaam, to describe—rather than attempting to explain—lived experiences. Subsequently, 15 protocols obtained from an undergraduate class in psychopathology at the University of Regina were analyzed. We feel that both the methodology used and our findings reveal a new way of viewing psychopathology, showing the inadequacy of reducing psychopathology to diagnostic labels. We found that the fullness of the pathological experience can only be understood through elucidating experienced interpersonal dynamics. Consequently, both an essential and a situational quality is evidenced, revealing the inadequacy of theories in which either the existence of psychopathology or its subjective character are denied.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 552-552
Author(s):  
Melissa Cannon

Abstract A crucial first step in preparing to become an Age-Friendly University (AFU) is seeking endorsement from the campus community and leadership. This presentation describes the mapping of the AFU principles to the strategic plan and initiatives of Western Oregon University, leading to endorsement by its faculty senate, and highlights a study of the older community members’ use of the university, laying the groundwork for advancing age-friendliness on campus. Data were collected through surveys (N=46), interviews (N=9), and photovoice method (N=7) with older adults, and data were analyzed using SPSS, team coding, and intensive group discussion to develop categories and themes. Themes emerged related to how the college campus is used by older adults, the need to promote lifelong learning to the community, and the need to address accessibility issues in order to be more age-friendly, providing helpful insight to other institutions of higher education seeking to join the AFU network.


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