The Experiences of Women-Identifying Undergraduate Student Caregivers
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This study investigated the experiences of student caregivers through interviews with ten women-identifying undergraduate students at a large urban university, identifying four ways their postsecondary experiences were influenced by the value they placed on their contributions: (1) their sense of autonomy within public and private spaces, (2) experiences of being questioned on the validity of their caregiver identity, (3) expectations from their social circles on what their role should be as a student and caregiver, and (4) their decisions to access support services as being decided by their value. The findings also revealed how students experienced being in the school and home spaces, including feelings of guilt, worry, self-awareness, and forgiveness. The emotional responses from caregiving transformed how students experienced being in postsecondary, including challenges in concentration on academics, varying levels of identity-validation and safety in spaces, and concerns about long-term care responsibilities. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study’s analysis of the findings included the capabilities approach, intersectionality, and social care framework. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used for analysis. Difficulties women-identifying student caregivers experienced included issues of financial instability/insecurity, which affected students’ ability to develop social connections and meet academic demands. Embedded within the issues of financial instability/insecurity were issues related to the provincial financial aid program, as there were many hidden limitations on amounts granted and experiences of losing funds for various reasons (i.e., dropping courses, academic probation, gaps in the students’ studies). Additional issues related to identity-specific circumstances included experiences of racism. Students also identified helpful supports, including academic supports (e.g., student groups), techniques for emotional regulation, the creation of communities of support, and the development of financial strategies. The implications of the study include recommendations for practitioners and policymakers on how to improve programs, resources, and services, including strategies that maintain the student caregiver’s dignity during identity-disclosure or minimize the need for identity-disclosure. Important to any change is acknowledging the effects of one system to another, such as academic probation and suspension’s impact on students’ OSAP funding. Future research directions are also shared for researchers to consider in expanding the literature and knowledge in student caregiving.
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