{"id":{"repo_id":"sdstate","oai_identifier":"oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-2422"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/sdstate/oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-2422","repository":{"repo_id":"sdstate","name":"South Dakota State University","base_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Lived Experiences of Graduate Students who are the Mothers of Young Children","abstract":"<p>In this qualitative study, the experiences of graduate students who were also the mothers of preschool children were explored through the use of narrative interviews and autoethnographic reflections on personal experience. The study examines the various self-perceived identity dimensions of three graduate student mothers (through a series of interviews) and the researcher (via autoethnographic writings). Analysis of the data identified two superordinate themes: a) the identification of systems of support and role models (including presence and absence of said supports) and b) a negotiation of gendered social expectations as the students navigated the context of graduate school. Recommendations include the need for more university-sponsored systems of support for graduate student mothers, as well as a need for further studies of this type that include women of more diverse characteristics and circumstances.</p>","abstract_html":"&lt;p&gt;In this qualitative study, the experiences of graduate students who were also the mothers of preschool children were explored through the use of narrative interviews and autoethnographic reflections on personal experience. The study examines the various self-perceived identity dimensions of three graduate student mothers (through a series of interviews) and the researcher (via autoethnographic writings). Analysis of the data identified two superordinate themes: a) the identification of systems of support and role models (including presence and absence of said supports) and b) a negotiation of gendered social expectations as the students navigated the context of graduate school. Recommendations include the need for more university-sponsored systems of support for graduate student mothers, as well as a need for further studies of this type that include women of more diverse characteristics and circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Harrington, Audrey M."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Education (MEd)","degree_level":"Thesis - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Counseling and Human Development","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Ruth Haper"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:29:08Z","subjects":["Adult and Continuing Education","Counseling"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["<p>In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/</a></p>"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1423","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Ruth Haper"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Harrington, Audrey M."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-08-03T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counseling and Human Development"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Education (MEd)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Adult and Continuing Education","Counseling"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["<p>In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/</a></p>"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1423"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["<p>In this qualitative study, the experiences of graduate students who were also the mothers of preschool children were explored through the use of narrative interviews and autoethnographic reflections on personal experience. The study examines the various self-perceived identity dimensions of three graduate student mothers (through a series of interviews) and the researcher (via autoethnographic writings). Analysis of the data identified two superordinate themes: a) the identification of systems of support and role models (including presence and absence of said supports) and b) a negotiation of gendered social expectations as the students navigated the context of graduate school. Recommendations include the need for more university-sponsored systems of support for graduate student mothers, as well as a need for further studies of this type that include women of more diverse characteristics and circumstances.</p>"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Lived Experiences of Graduate Students who are the Mothers of Young Children"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Ruth Haper"],"dc:creator":["Harrington, Audrey M."],"dc:date.available":["2017-08-03T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["<p>In this qualitative study, the experiences of graduate students who were also the mothers of preschool children were explored through the use of narrative interviews and autoethnographic reflections on personal experience. The study examines the various self-perceived identity dimensions of three graduate student mothers (through a series of interviews) and the researcher (via autoethnographic writings). Analysis of the data identified two superordinate themes: a) the identification of systems of support and role models (including presence and absence of said supports) and b) a negotiation of gendered social expectations as the students navigated the context of graduate school. Recommendations include the need for more university-sponsored systems of support for graduate student mothers, as well as a need for further studies of this type that include women of more diverse characteristics and circumstances.</p>"],"dc:identifier":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1423"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["<p>In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/</a></p>"],"dc:subject":["Adult and Continuing Education","Counseling"],"dc:title":["Lived Experiences of Graduate Students who are the Mothers of Young Children"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counseling and Human Development"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Education (MEd)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:29:08Z"}