Working Mothers in Student Affairs: A Narrative Study of Maternal and Professional Identity Development
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Authors
Craven, Judy G.
Issue Date
2022-10
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Dissertations, Academic--United States , Identity (Psychology) , Narrative inquiry (Research method) , Student affairs administrators , Student affairs services , Working mothers
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the personal and professional experiences of working mothers in higher education student affairs to understand how they integrated maternal identity and professional identity in their lives. Using narrative identity theory as my framework, I retold the stories of working mothers in student affairs and how they navigated their experiences that contributed to their personal and professional development. From their narratives I discovered common themes that showed how their values influenced their successful integration of maternal and professional identity.
Study results provided useful information for institutions and mentors to understand the working mothers’ experiences that positively affect retention and advancement of talented women with multiple identities and roles. This study also built on current research on professional and motherhood identity by focusing on a specific population of women who have already navigated raising children while working in student affairs. As an added benefit, the results from this research might give hope to young working mothers in their quest for identity role integration, as they see how other women raised their children and explored their internal and external expressions of self as mother and professional.
Keywords: working mothers, student affairs, identity development, narrative inquiry
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.