Uncovering women’s experiences in balancing motherhood with employment.
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Date
2018
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Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to understand the experiences of women balancing the
roles of motherhood and employment, within the South African organisational context. A
review of the literature suggests that despite efforts towards gender equality and the increased
level of participation of women in the workforce, societal norms still create and reinforce
expectations for women to bear the responsibility for both child-rearing and domestic duties.
Drawing from a social constructionist paradigm, this study adopted a qualitative methodology
in order to unravel the socially constructed perceptions of work and motherhood within two
South African organisations in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The sample consisted of eight
working mothers, who were located using both a purposive and snowball sampling strategy.
Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data, which was analysed using the Voice
Relational Method.
The findings indicate that the place of working mothers is socially constructed by the
circulating discourse within society surrounding work and motherhood. Working mothers are
involved in a complex interplay of role/identity construction/reconstruction by challenging and
accepting aspects of normative or ideological discourse to make it relevant to their local
circumstances. Becoming a mother seems to be life-changing for a woman and requires a lot
of adjustment on a woman’s part in terms of her identity and perceptions, requires the learning
of new skills and strategies and at times can feel lonely and isolating. Working mother’s face
both pros and cons when trying to balance their multiple roles. These pros and cons were
psychological, emotional, social, financial, ideological and structural. This research also
uncovered the impact of existing ideology on mothering and work in the way that participants
utilise the voice of “I” and “you”. The voice of “I” was often used by participants to emphasise
their personal anxieties and fears in relation to their perceptions of the normative experiences
of mothers, i.e. the voice of “you”.
In conclusion, this study was useful in privileging the voice of working mothers in and on their
own terms who face a deep sense of isolation, loneliness, and inadequacies in their gendered
lived experience; but also celebrate their own individuality and collectivity as women who find
fulfilment and satisfaction in navigating multiple roles in their journey of motherhood and
work.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.