Abstract

This grounded theory study describes the experiences of a small select group of educated, low-income, culturally diverse women who were supported by peer counselors/breastfeeding advocates in their communities as they attempted to breastfeed. The study explores their issues and concerns. In-depth interview data from seventeen women (ten African-American and seven Latina) were analyzed, using constant comparative analysis. Findings from the study indicated that the perception of successful breastfeeding can have an empowering effect on women when support for their endeavors are gender--and culturally--appropriate, The five themes that emerged as primary descriptors of the experience were Making the Discovering, Seeking a Connection, Comforting Each Other, Becoming Empowered, and Telling the World. The themes build on one another and integrate into the final theme, Telling the World. This final theme best illustrates a substantive theory derived from the data. The knowledge generated by this study will enable health care professionals to be more creative in their approaches to cultural breastfeeding issues and to understand the role that peer counseling plays in providing support to breastfeeding women.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9509235; ProQuest document ID: 304136389. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Maryanne Phyllis Locklin, PhD, RN

Sigma Membership

Gamma Phi, Lambda Upsilon at-Large

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Grounded Theory

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Cultural Differences, Infant Care Across Cultures, Peer Counselors

Advisor

Sarah Naber

Degree

Doctoral-Other

Degree Grantor

Rush University

Degree Year

1994

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2019-09-25

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