Affiliations: College of Health Care Sciences, Occupational Therapy,
Nova Southeastern University, FL, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Sandra Barker Dunbar, DPA, OTR/L, FAOTA,
Professor Occupational Therapy, Assistant Dean of Professional Development,
Nova Southeastern University, College of Health Care Sciences, 3200 University
Drive, Davie, FL 33328, USA. Tel.: +1 954 262 1305; Fax: +1 954 262 2290;
E-mail: sdunbar@nova.edu
Abstract: PURPOSE: Mothering work has been studied by social and occupational
scientists, as well as a few occupational therapists. However, there remains a
lack of in depth qualitative analysis that provides a trajectory view of a
mother's experience, particularly after traumatic events involving their
children. This study sought to further understand a mothering experience from a
mothering work lens following the near-drowning experience of a child in South
Florida. METHOD: Antenarratology is a relatively new approach for analyzing
qualitative data. It provides a way to understand the complexities of phenomena
over a period of time from a more contextual approach. This method was used to
analyze a mother's blog post injury of her child. This report introduces the
method and its application to one mother's experience using a case study
format. RESULTS: Analysis of data using antenarratology methodology revealed
a variety of disparate, inconsistent and common threads, which is acceptable in
antenarratological explorations. This more appropriately mirrors the variations
of life that a mother's work experiences in child care work entail,
particularly post injury.
