Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Program Name/Specialization

Community Psychology

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

First Advisor

Dr. Robb Travers

Advisor Role

Thesis Supervisor

Abstract

Young North American women are currently coming of age in a sociopolitical context governed by neoliberal ideology, post-feminist assumptions, agentic femininities, and demographic trends that have lengthened pathways to adulthood. Consequently, the avoidance of early reproductive experiences has become a key requisite governing the success of the young female subject. This project explores the diverse reproductive experiences of eleven young (≤ 24 years of age) women residing in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Prince Edward Island’s conservative community culture, anti-choice policies, and limited youth focused sexual-reproductive health services produces a unique experiential setting for young women who encounter reproductive events. Through interpretative phenomenological analysis, 5 superordinate themes were identified in participant’s communications; Transformation, Negotiation, Gender as Experience, Gender as Category, and Island Observation(s). These themes highlight how interactions between the larger sociocultural context and the localized environment function to structure young women’s reproductive experiences and influence material realities. It was found that young women residing in Prince Edward Island experience distinct barriers to sexual-reproductive health and wellbeing, and that these barriers become particularly oppressive in the context of reproductive experiences.

Convocation Year

2015

Convocation Season

Spring

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