Date of Conferral
7-9-2024
Date of Award
July 2024
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Matthew Howren
Abstract
The number of single mothers continues to grow across the nation, and many are at a socioeconomic disadvantage. Little research focuses, however, on how single mothers describe their experiences of balancing motherhood, work, and pursuing higher education, all while undergoing food insecurity. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress and coping was used to formulate the research design. Semistructured interview questions were used to answer the question of how single mothers with food insecurity describe their experiences pursuing higher education. A generic qualitative research approach was utilized in this study. Interviews were conducted with 10 single mothers pursuing postsecondary education and experiencing food insecurity. A thematic analysis was used for data analysis to address each question in the individual interviews. The themes that developed from this research were the following: (a) enduring while neglecting personal well-being, (b) responsibility overload, (c) recognizing the need for adaptative coping and resilience, (d) intrinsic and external motivation, (e) primarily maternal and female support, (f) a strong sense of personal responsibility for the situation and current life circumstances. The data from this study can help institute positive social change by increasing the understanding of this marginalized group, so it is possible to better determine what is needed to contribute to a better quality of life for single mothers and their children.
Recommended Citation
Bernard, Amber, "Experiences of Food Insecurity Among Single Mothers Pursuing Secondary Education" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16217.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16217
