A cross-sectional, qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of South African mothers in 2020 using Higgins’ self-discrepancy theory

Abstract

Maternal guilt and shame are seemingly universal and inescapable features of motherhood. It’s universality, however, does not minimize the negative impacts which these emotions may have on an individual’s mental and physical health. Furthermore, the impact which the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent nationwide lockdown have had on the lived experiences of South African mothers and their emotional states is a topic which has yet to be explored or published at the time of writing this study. This research, therefore, attempted to gain an understanding of the lived experiences of South African mothers during the Coronavirus pandemic. To do this, the researcher engaged in individual, online semi-structured interviews with 6 South African mothers. An interpretive, phenomenological analysis was then conducted and three predominant themes emerged from the data. A common thread throughout each of the participants' experiences was the influence (both direct and indirect) of social norms and predominant mothering discourses such as intensive mothering. The participants discussed a desire for the support systems they had lost access to during the nationwide lockdown as well as a ‘time out’. Feelings of shame and guilt in terms of self-doubt and self-blame were also found to be a general feature of the participants’ mothering experiences. Ultimately, this study’s findings will contribute to the body of literature concerning the lived experiences of middle-class, suburban South African mothers from a new contextual perspective.