A Narratological Approach to the Experience of "Parenthood"

The purpose of this paper is to define the concept of "parenthood" by analyzing the narratives of mothers and fathers whose children have been in the children's hospital. To be a parent is not merely bearing a child in the biological sense. It rather involves the ways in which parents accept or don't accept their newborn baby, construct the parent-child relationship, and experience changes in social relationships. How mothers and fathers explain their experiences of parenthood is often influenced by the stereotypical image of "a good parent" in the society. Therefore people with a unique early parenthood experience were selected as informants so that they can offer their experience of parenthood free from social stereotypes. The informants of this research were 12 couples of parents whose children have been in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for medical treatment. Their children were in need of intensive care because of premature birth, low birth weight (LBW) or serious congenital diseases. All informants were asked questions about the experience of parenthood. Episodic-interview method was used and the narrative data were analyzed by a narratological theory from the phenomenological perspective. As a result of the analysis, the concept of parenthood was found to be composed of three aspects -"passiveness","dynamic reformation of social relationships" and "failure to comprehend". The first aspect is characterized by "passiveness". The parents are thrown into a situation which they are obliged to take care of their helpless newborn babies. They cannot shirk from their responsibility to care for their children. From such an experience, they consider themselves as a father/mother. The second aspect is characterized by "dynamic reformation of social relationships". The parents must change the relationships within their family or with the community after they have the newborn babies. They often encounter significant persons in their life, for instance, other parents who have a similar experience, with their children being the inter-mediums. These new relationships will form and reform the social network for the parents and their children. The third aspect is characterized by "failure to comprehend". The parents are assailed by emotional confusion and feel uncomfortable when they face their children who were LBW or have a serious disease. They reproach themselves on the fact that their babies have to be hospitalized. When parents fail to understand their children in such a situation, they are at a loss as to how to narrate their story. In conclusion, to be a parent is to fulfill the social role of being a guardian for their children on one hand; on the other hand it is an over-whelming experience facing their children as strangers beyond comprehension.