The Coconstruction of Couples' Roles in Parenting Children With a Chronic Health Condition

Bibliographic Data

ID4669663
AuthorsTed Mcneill (University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada), David Nicholas (0000-0003-4480-322X, University of Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), John Beaton (University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada), Gert Montgomery (Holland Bloorview Kid’s Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada), G W G MONTGOMERY (Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital), Radha Macculloch (0000-0001-6839-8367, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada), R E Gearing (0000-0001-6916-9996, Columbia University), Robin Gearing (Columbia University, New York, New York, USA), Enid K Selkirk (0000-0002-6624-8194, McMaster University), Enid Selkirk (McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
Year2014
Volume24
Issue8
Pages1114-1125
Publication date2014-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1049732314540339
PMID24963081
OpenAlexW2160974946
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited26

In this study we explored the ways that mothers and fathers of children who have a chronic health condition coconstructed their parenting roles. We wanted to move beyond the standard focus on individual parenting behaviors and use a grounded theory approach to better capture the dyadic and interpersonal gestalt of how parents worked out their roles. We explored multiple factors that influenced their decision making and the unique models that each couple developed. We held conjoint qualitative interviews with 20 couples from the Toronto area, as well as follow-up interviews with individual partners in five of these couples. Our findings introduce several concepts (such as role negotiation, complementarity and symmetry of roles, and "good enough" role performance) that form an explanatory model. A key finding is the diversity of ways in which couples adapted to the parenting challenges they faced. Implications in conceptual, clinical, and research areas are presented

Developmental psychology · Dyad · Focus group · Grounded theory · Interpersonal communication · Negotiation · Qualitative research · Sociology · Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life · Family and Disability Support Research · Family Support in Illness · Psychology · Social Psychology

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