An Investigation into the Lived Experiences of Young Women who are also Mothers Barry Fearnley Leeds Metropolitan University

Qualitative – mixed methods semi-structured interviews a focus group participant observation narrative approach

Introductory meetings with project managers (all voluntary agencies) Introductory meetings with project managers (all voluntary agencies) During visits to projects, discussions with project workers, key workers, teachers, tutors During visits to projects, discussions with project workers, key workers, teachers, tutors Three introductory sessions meeting young women Three introductory sessions meeting young women

Eighteen young women were interviewed Eighteen young women were interviewed One focus group – 6 young women One focus group – 6 young women Attendance at various groups over a four month period Attendance at various groups over a four month period A total of: 38 – young women who were mothers 38 – young women who were mothers 12 – expectant young women 12 – expectant young women

‘There is no substitute for intimate engagement with your data. Researchers should think of data as something to cuddle up with, embrace, and get to know better’ (Marshall and Rossman 2011, P. 210)

Four key themes Relationships Relationships Stigma Stigma Culture factors Culture factors Aspirations and change Aspirations and change

Relationships Sub-themes Typical day - ‘a day in the life of …’ Time with their children Enjoyable experiences of motherhood Sometimes it is hard being a mother Relationship with the child’s father / partner Family support Relationship with friends

Relationships 'watching them sleep, like I know you might think that’s being horrible, but when you see them asleep I can’t believe I’ve made that myself, I can’t believe I’ve brought them up, so that’s the best bit about being a mum yea, watching them grow up and seeing them when they are happy you know, when they’re in their element you know, it’s like I don’t know, I just like to see them happy, it’s a right weird feeling it’s like, it’s like a little butterfly feeling inside’ Jessica (19 years old)

Stigma Stigma ‘when I got pregnant at sixteen all I got was you’re a slag for having a kid at a young age and I was like why am I a slag because I was with is his dad for two years’ Roxie (18 years old) ‘there were somebody, same age as me, and she slept with about a million times more people than me, I’ve only been with one person which is my baby’s dad, and she tried to say that I was a slapper and all this and that like I said that’s rich coming from you, you don’t know how to pull your knickers up, like people think they can call you a slag cos you’ve got a baby but I’ve only been with one person and I’m still with him and they’ve been with like one hundred people’ Mother (16 years old)

Culture factors Culture factors ‘I couldn’t live without my [mobile] phone’ Phoebe (16 years old) ‘on a night I bath him, feed him and put him to bed, after that it is my time I usually go on Facebook to talk to my mates’ Gina (16 years old) ‘I used to be on most on all of time but I found it was a waste of time I’m busy with my baby since I have my baby I have no time for Facebook’ Reeta (19 years old)

Aspirations and change Aspirations and change ‘it changed me for the better, like I got pregnant very young, I was in year 10 just starting doing GCSEs and before that I was not that bothered about school but then because I got pregnant I got like started knuckling down and got really good grades thanks to her, cause if not I wouldn’t have done and not got into college either’ ‘it changed me for the better, like I got pregnant very young, I was in year 10 just starting doing GCSEs and before that I was not that bothered about school but then because I got pregnant I got like started knuckling down and got really good grades thanks to her, cause if not I wouldn’t have done and not got into college either’ Siobhan (17 years old)

Existing research Current study Similarities / differences Next steps

References Attride-Stirling, J. (2001) Thematic network: an analytic tool for qualitative research, Qualitative Research, 1(3): Marshall, C. and Rossman, G. B. (2011) Designing Qualitative Research (Fifth Edition), London: Sage.