RESUMEN
The aim of this study was to understand adolescent mothers' childbirth experiences. Semistructured interviews were conducted with participants recruited from a community-based program for adolescent mothers. Fourteen mothers described their birth experiences. Using a narrative analytic approach, responses were reconstructed into birth stories. Stories, condensed into poetic form, were compared and contrasted. Four unique categories emerged: connected births, surreal births, disconnected births, and disempowered births. Categories differed by agency, support, and emotional tone. Positive support was found in stories that portrayed high agency and positive affect, whereas problematic support was apparent in stories that conveyed passivity, frustration, and disappointment. This study has implications for tailoring childbirth education for adolescent mothers and can inform health-care professionals working with this population.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to elucidate a comprehensive understanding of the pre-migration expectations and current realities of refugees resettled in the United States (U.S). Employment expectations and the current work situations experienced by African refugee populations recently resettled in Greensboro, NC are examined. PARTICIPANTS: Ten French-speaking refugees of African descent who had resided in Central North Carolina for less than three years were selected to participate. METHODS: A phenomenological approach was used; semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in spring 2010. Interviews needing interpretation were translated throughout the course of the interview in real time. All interviews were transcribed verbatim or word for word. RESULTS: All participants expected to find work in their fields with relative ease, but were either unemployed or under-employed compared to their professional training and/or previous occupation in their country of origin at the time of their interview. Emergent themes from the interviews included financial stability, ease of finding work, identity concerns, English language comprehension, the economy, and navigating a new system. CONCLUSIONS: Refugees in this sample were not prepared for the challenges they encountered when searching for gainful employment. Their experiences appear to be common with available anecdotal evidence. Adjustments to the cultural orientation programs received prior to migration, and enhancements to social networks in addition to an increased focus on English language comprehension post-migration have the potential to positively impact employment outcomes for newly arrived refugees.