No Margin for Error: A Study of Two Women Balancing Motherhood and Ph.D. Studies
Robin S. Grenier
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Morag C. Burke
University of Georgia, Atlanta Georgia
This cogenerative ethnography explored the lived experiences of two graduate students balancing Ph.D. studies and motherhood through McClusky’s (1963) Theory of Margin. Specifically, we asked ourselves: What impact does pregnancy have on personal and academic selves and how are multiple roles and responsibilities managed? Through an analysis of dialogues, artifacts, conceptual maps, and narratives, examples of internal and external load revealed the dynamic nature of the female experiences in graduate school. Excerpts from the data showed how roles, relationships, and experiences are characterized and how similar or different those examples were, given individual context. Implications of this research for students, faculty, and higher education policy are explored.
Key Words: Motherhood, Theory of Margin, Graduate School, and Cogenerative Ethnography
IMO, balancing motherhood and Ph.D. studies is quite challenging. Well, try now to balance early learning, motherhood and Ph.D.
interesting. I could relate to some of that. The feeling of being the only one in the boat hit home the hardest. I was studying full time, holding a job, raising 2 kids and very very pregnant. I actually had to change the dates of my Practicum placement as I was too close to my due date to be in a school. I was so round the kids knew to help me up of the floor! lol
To be honest at the time I just coped. I look back on it now and think I must have been just crazy to attempt it. It was a case of moving priorities. My house was a mess, but we ate well (pregnant = food right? ) and I got top marks where it counted and passes where it didnt matter. I read only what I had to or what really interested me. I think the key is to spend just a couple of minutes each day thinking throught he days priorities. Plus having at least a few minutes on the couch each evening with a cup of tea! My kids did miss me. they did miss out a little. It was a high load course. If I was to do it again, I would have done it over 2 years with the majority while I was pregnant and the easy subjects while bubs was young. Really whoever invented that course ( basically crammed a 4 year teaching degree into one year) needs a kick in the head! It was really really hard, even for the people with No kids. I actually thought having kids gave me a bit of an advantage in some areas. So I guess you need to just try to focus on your strenghts. if you are organised use that. If you arnt, dont try to be. lol
I had a giggle that she classes her Mother in law as a Load! (ie a stress in her life) lol
