Moments Marked: an Exploration Into the Ways in Which Women Are Choosing to Mark Aspects of Their Rite of Passage Into Motherhood
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MOMENTS MARKED: AN EXPLORATION INTO THE WAYS IN WHICH WOMEN ARE CHOOSING TO MARK ASPECTS OF THEIR RITE OF PASSAGE INTO MOTHERHOOD. A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2015 JILL M THORNTON School of Arts, Languages and Cultures This research was undertaken at Luther King House Educational Trust Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 2 LIST OF FIGURES ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 5 ABSTRACT ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 6 DECLARATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 7 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 7 DEDICATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 9 THE AUTHOR ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 10 CHAPTER 1: NARRATIVE THREAD ................................ ................................ ............................ 11 1.1 N ARRATIVE T HREAD ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 12 CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 17 2.1 I NTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 18 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 20 3.1 I NTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 21 3.2 U NPACKING THE T ERMS : E MPIRICAL & F EMINIST ................................ ................................ ....... 22 3.2.1 Transparency ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 24 3.2.2 Rela tionships ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 27 3.3 U NPACKING THE T ERMS : Q UALITATIVE & E THNOGRAPHIC ................................ ............................ 34 3.4 N ARRATIVE OF THE R ESEARCH P ROCESS ................................ ................................ ................... 41 3.4.1 The Interviewees ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 42 3.4.2 The Interviews ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 44 3.4.3 Handling the Data ................................ ................................ ................................ 47 3.5 C ONCLUSIONS ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 49 CHAPTER 4: MOTHERHOOD AS A RITE OF PASSAGE ................................ ................................ 51 4.1 I NTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 52 4.2 W HAT IS A R ITE OF P ASSAGE ? ................................ ................................ ............................... 53 4.3 E XPLORING VAN G ENNEP ’ S M ODEL OF A R ITE OF P ASSAGE ................................ ........................... 56 4.3.1 The Nature of Relationships ................................ ................................ .................. 56 4.3.2 The Medicalization of Labour and Birth ................................ ................................ 64 4.3.3 The Importance of Support and Journaling ................................ ............................ 68 4.3.4 Is Labour an Experience of Status Reversal? ................................ .......................... 73 4.3.5 The Role of Status and Identity in a Woman’s Rite of Passage into Motherhood .... 77 4.3.6 Five Contemporary Motherhood Myths ................................ ................................ 82 4.4 B EYOND VAN G ENNEP AND T URNER – A M ODEL R EFLECTING W OMEN ’ S E XPERIENCE OF P REGNANCY , C HILDBIRTH AND T HE E ARLY Y EARS ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 86 CHAPTER 5: RITUALS ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 93 5.1 I NTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 94 5.2 T HE A CADEMIC C ONTEXT ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 95 5.2.1 Creating a Working Definition ................................ ................................ ............... 95 5.2.2 Five Important Characteristics Associated with Ritual ................................ ......... 105 5.3 T HE H ISTORICAL C ONTEXT ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 109 5.3.1 A Personal Reflection ................................ ................................ .......................... 109 Page | 2 5.3.2 Reasons Why ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 110 5.3.3 A Re view of Current Resources ................................ ................................ ........... 112 5.3.4 Motherhood Rituals Past and Present ................................ ................................ 115 5.3.4.1 The Churching of Women ................................ ................................ ....................... 115 5.3.4.2 Baby Showers ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 125 5.3.4.3 Mother Blessings ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 128 5.3.4.4 Ritual Fragments ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 134 5.4 C ONCLUSION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 140 CHAPTER 6: H OMEMADE RITUALS & RI TUAL SEQUENCES ................................ ..................... 142 6.1 I NTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 143 6.2 P RE - PARE - ING & G ATHERING R ITUALS : R ITUAL A CTIVITIES DURING P REGNANCY .............................. 143 6.2.1 Background to Ritual Activities during Pregnancy ................................ ................ 143 6.2.2 Exploring the Perf ormative Power of Ritual ................................ ......................... 147 6.2.3 The Performative Power of the Women’s Mother Blessings ................................ 149 6.3 W OMBING AND C OCOONING R ITUALS : R ITUAL A CTIVITIES AROUND THE TIME OF B IRTH ..................... 155 6.3.1 Backgrou nd to Ritual Activities around the time of Birth ................................ ..... 155 6.3.2 Creating Birthing Spaces ................................ ................................ ..................... 158 6.3.3 Creating Spaces Shortly After Birth ................................ ................................ ..... 161 6.3.4 Creating Lying - In Spaces ................................ ................................ ..................... 163 6.3.5 The Significance of Creating Space around Birth ................................ .................. 165 6.4 R EMEMBERING & E MERGING R ITUALS : R ITUAL A CTIVITIES B EYOND B IRTH ................................ ..... 171 6.4.1 Background to Ritual Activities Beyond Birth ................................ ....................... 171 6.4.2 The Difficulties of Te lling Birthing Stories ................................ ............................ 172 6.4.3 The Potential Benefits of Telling Birthing Stories ................................ ................. 178 6.4.4 Different Expressions of Birthing Stories ................................ ............................. 180 6.5 C ONCLUSION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 187 CHAPTER 7: PATTERNS WITHIN WOME N’S SPIRITUALITY ................................ ...................... 189 7.1 I NTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 190 7.2 P ERCEP TIONS OF S PIRITUALITY WITHIN A W OMAN ’ S T RANSITION INTO M OTHERHOOD FROM A H EALTHCARE P ERSPECTIVE ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 191 7.3 P ERCEPTIONS OF S PIRITUALITY WITHIN A W OMAN ’ S T RANSITION INTO M OTHERHOOD WITHIN THE C HRISTIAN T RADITION ................................ ...............................