Abstract
Introduction
Motherhood is an important occupational challenge for women, a situation that becomes more complex when they are adolescents.
Objective
To analyze the trajectories of adolescent mothers from the perspective of Feminist Occupational Therapy.
Method
Qualitative study that, through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, analyzed six adolescent maternal experiences in Spain.
Results
Three central categories of analysis emerged that explain part of the occupational trajectories. We highlight within them, the “Occupational precariousness: a gender-sex vulnerability”, which accounts for the previous conditions that make adolescent pregnancy possible. The category “A family occupation: (inter) dependent motherhood” reflects the family organization of care and upbringing, giving an account of the relevance of the female figures who support this experience. Finally, the category “The occupational shift: its psychosocial repercussions”, considers the impact of motherhood in the projections, both at the educational level and in its labor insertion.
Conclusion
The trajectories of adolescent mothers reflect a fluctuation of emotions and complexities in their maternity wards associated with the period of life in which they carry it out. Therefore, the emergence of a Feminist Occupational Therapy aware of gender inequalities allows us to challenge the occupational injustice faced by adolescent mothers for a more just and dignified life.
Keywords:
Maternity; Adolescence; Gender; Social Justice; Occupational Therapy; Feminism
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