Föräldraskap, möjligheter och identitet. Upplevelser av graviditet och att bli förälder under skolgång i KwaZulu-Natal, Sydafrika.

Sammanfattning

This study examines how young women and men in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa,experience pregnancy and parenthood when they are in school, with a particular focus onresponsibility and future opportunities. The study aims to contribute to a deeperunderstanding of how young parents interpret the consequences of early parenthood.The research is theoretically grounded in Iris Marion Young’s theory of structural injusticeand Thomas Hylland Eriksen’s theory about status positions. In addition, Joseph H. Pleck’stheory on fatherhood and masculinity is used to analyze how young men understand andperform fatherhood. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with threewomen and three men, who became parents during their school years. The material wasanalyzed through thematic analysis.The findings show that pregnancy and parenthood were experienced as both meaningful andlimiting life events. Young women were more directly affected through primary caregivingresponsibilities, while young men were mainly affected through financial pressure andexpectations connected to provider roles. The results further demonstrate that support systemssuch as positive school environments played a decisive role in shaping participants' futureopportunities. The study concludes that the consequences can not be understood solely asindividual choices. Instead, they must be analyzed in relation to broader structuralinequalities, gendered responsibility patterns and unequal access to resources.