An Ethno-phenomenological Study of Pregnant Women’s Experiences regarding Household Roles

• Main Authors: Fatemeh Erfanian Arghavanian, Abbas Heydari, Mohsen Noghani Dokht Bahmani, Robab Latifnejad Roudsari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2020-10-01
• Series: International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery
• Subjects: experience; household; pregnant women-women’s role
• Online Access: https://ijcbnm.sums.ac.ir/article_46928_19233a39deee23db61319cc575f10508.pdf

Background: Household labor has been indicated as a feminine role even in the present millennium,<br />in which gender role orientations have been changed. As pregnancy is an important time for studying<br />the division of household labor, this study aimed to discover the meaning of the pregnant women’s<br />experiences of household roles.<br />Methods: An ethno-phenomenological study, in which van Manen approach to phenomenology was<br />its core and focused ethnographic approach was its supplementary component, was used to conduct<br />this study. 25 pregnant women with maximum variation were recruited via the purposeful sampling<br />during 2016-2017 in Mashhad, Iran. In-depth semi-structured interviews, vignette interviews as<br />well as observations were used for data collection. Six-step van Manen’s descriptive-interpretive<br />phenomenological approach was used for concurrent data collection and analysis. MAXQDA, version<br />10, was used for data organization.<br />Results: Data analysis led to the emergence of an overarching theme entitled: “couples’ preservation,<br />keeping up and protection of the household roles”. This was derived from two subthemes including<br />the mother’s efforts to play the household roles and spouse confrontation with the household chores.<br />Conclusion: The consequence of all endeavors of pregnant women along with their husbands develops<br />the experience of preserving and maintaining the importance of household roles. As pregnancy is an<br />important period for considering division of household responsibilities, it is necessary to design and<br />implement gender sensitive programs to empower pregnant women and their families as well.